Superhero's Confidante
by The Batchild
Summary: Being rewritten and combined with fic for The Dark Knight and The Dark Knight Rises. It will be posted soon, under the title "In the Shadow of The Bat."
1. Prologue: Child of Rape

**Disclaimer  
**I do not own Batman Begins. The marvelous people at DC Comics and the movie people do. I own Eleanor Black/Sophie Macarthur, her background and everyone associated with her who's not from the movie. I also own the parts of the plot that were added or changed. Nothing serious was done though, don't worry. The fic is rated for language, violence, sexual situations, drinking, blood, and a serious cat fight.

**-**

**Note  
**Please forgive the strange format of the prologue. I was having fun.

-

**Superhero's Confidante  
**Prologue: _Child of Rape _

_-_

_Part One: Violation  
_Heart pounding in her ears, she ran. Tears and sweat streaming down her skin, she fled. She was terrified like she had never had been in her life; he was following her, chasing her, hunting her. He was running too, and he was faster. He was gaining on her, the distance between them steadily shrinking, closing. He wanted to hurt her, to break her, to violate her… She screamed and pushed herself farther, faster onward. So did he.

Rain pelted her pale skin as she headed for the main street. Her dark hair was plastered to her face and neck; having come untangled from it's elegant up do, it now hung in a ragged mass. Her eyes were wide and wild, and a scream was permanently caught in her throat.

In a horrid twist of fate, a chunk of something appeared under her foot and sent her flying forward to meet the ground, only steps from the main road. As if to taunt her, a car zipped past in a torrent of arching water. She tried to claw along the pavement, tried to pull herself to salvation, freedom, but it was no use.

She knew she was caught.

His hands appeared on her shoulder less than thirty seconds later and then she was on her back. He roughly lashed his hands over her body and pried open her legs, exploring to his heart's content with his hands. He hit her when she protested. She only fought at the beginning, only a little while longer, before she gave up and submitted to her inevitable fate. Knowing there was no way she could fight back, no way she could save herself, she closed her eyes and bit her lip until she tasted blood. He climbed on top of her and laughed. He laughed and took her. He moved repulsively inside her, pinning her down, bruising her arms. Blood poured from her, pooling beneath her, and she cried, sobbed, but let him have her.

Time passed astonishingly, agonizingly slow as he raped her again and again and again. Tears kept flowing but she wouldn't, couldn't fight back. She hated feeling the movement inside her; hated hearing his laughter, groans, his pleasure. She hated herself, her weakness, her cowardice.

Finally, he rose, fixed himself, blew her a sardonic kiss and then left. Left her lying on the ground, broken, crying, alone. Violated.

_- _

_Part Two: Birth  
_She'd known as soon as the vile man had finished with her, that she'd become pregnant. She knew he'd bear his child. Now, as she sat on the cracked asphalt, writhing in sweat-soaked pain, she cried because the monster's baby was emerging. A bloody bubble of skin formed between her legs and she screamed; half in pain, half in horror. To her, this was an abomination. This was not her child. Soon, a shrill, painful cry mimicked her screams and dimly she wondered if the baby could possibly know what it was.

Shaking, she banished the thought from her mind, not allowing herself to become at all attached to the child, and reached behind her hip for the knife. With a final push and spurt of blood, the child joined her mother twisting on the pavement. She reached forward, down between her trembling, blood-soaked legs and held the blade above the baby's neck. A sudden wave of emotion stayed her hand. Could she do it? Could she kill this innocent child?

She hesitated only a moment longer. Then, through he tears, and for the same reason she hadn't gotten an abortion, she severed the umbilical cord. Abandoning the knife in a dumpster, she clawed her was to her feet and stumbled from the alleyway, leaving the newborn child crying, screaming, wailing behind her. She couldn't help but feel a little guilty… Even though the child had been sired by a monster, it was only a child, only newborn, and there was no possible way it could be evil like its father… And that inexplicable connection between offspring and life-giver tugged her backwards to the alleyway. She stopped once, and turned to look at the dark opening before she took off rambling into the dark Gotham night.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Only an hour or two later, a man appeared on the street. The strange noises ofGotham city were around him. They were normal, almost strangely comforting. Another noise was what caught his attention and was what had drawn him to this abandoned alleyway outside the dingy club. It sounded like… crying. Like a _baby_ crying… And it was coming from the alleyway he was standing in front of. But who would leave a baby in an alley? Slowly, carefully, he crept into the narrow opening, looking around for the source of the disturbing noise. And there it was… Just lying behind a dumpster; a still-bloody baby, crying, screaming, cold, scared, hungry, alone.

It broke his heart.

He nearly collapsed to his knees in the pool of gently shimmering blood and swept the child into his arms. Tears streaming down his cheeks, he held the baby girl to his chest, snuggling her under his jacket. He tried to hush her and he hurried from the alley, heading for the only place he knew she'd be safe, cared for.

-

_Part Three: A Family and a Name  
_The hospital was cold in appearance, like most of Gotham City, but the air inside was warm, as was the coffee and the hearts of the nurses who took the baby girl into their nest of arms. He was seated in a empty corner of the waiting room as a lady from child services sternly looked him over.

"What is your name, sir?" she asked, her voice as cold as the fluorescent lighting and her eyes even colder. "And how did you come upon the baby girl?"

"My name is Liam Black, and I found her. In an alley about three miles from here. She was alone, bloody, and crying. Hungry, probably. Scared. I took her and ran here, knowing she'd be all right here."

"What were your hopes for the child?"

This woman had no interest in children. She was merely a greedy, spoiled bitch-dog of a woman – the kind that _deserved _to be on a leash. She wanted money, not happiness for any of the children she serviced. She wanted material things, like the heavy gold necklace around her pencil-thin neck. She cared nothing for emotions; the ring on her finger was probably a commitment for money, too.

"I want to adopt her," Liam almost snapped.

She huffed and nearly stuck her pointed nose in the air. "I do not think that would be wise. Are you married, Mr. Black? Do you have a girlfriend? How big is your house? How much do you make? Do you have the skills, the resources to take on a child who really needs the care of a woman?"

Liam was reaching the end of his nerves. He fixed the woman with a hard look, the one he reserved for the businessmen he wasn't fond of, and snarled. "I'm going to adopt that baby girl! She had no home and no family, and the best place for her is with me! I'm rich – I have a fortune to my name. I can move to accommodate her. I have a fiancée whom I plan to marry in under a year, and yes, _we _will have the skills and resources to take care of this girl. I am going to adopt her. Is that understood?" He had risen from his seat, and was dripping water on the woman's lap, onto her thousand dollar skirt-suit.

The woman rose to meet him, but a retort was a while in coming, and it wasn't much of a retort at that. "Well… Fine then. But I'll be keeping an eyes on how you raise her."

"Whatever."

Soon, the nurses emerged, carrying the young girl between them, a cute little matching outfit and hat covering her naked body. She was asleep and sucking on a pacifier the nurses had supplied. One nurse stepped forward and handed her to Liam. Another one handed him a rather large bag packed with supplies for the first little while.

"What are you going to name her, sir?" one of the nurses asked.

Liam smiled. "Eleanor, after my mother, and Alexandra after my sister. Eleanor Alexandra Black."

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

"I didn't know Naomi was pregnant, Liam."

Liam smiled at his long-time friend. "She's not, and she wasn't. You know that. I found this angel in an alley, lying in a pool of blood… She looked to be newly born."

Thomas smiled. "And you, with your soft heart, had to take her as your own." He was only joking. Liam's compassion, love and kind nature was and had always had been a source of jealousy for Thomas. "Let's head into the living room. I'm sure Martha and Naomi have finished their chat. Bruce has probably returned from his piano lesson as well. I know they both wanted to meet Eleanor."

The men proceeded into the next room, Liam holding Eleanor protectively in his arms. Naomi came to stand beside her fiancée, a smiling plastered across her beautiful face, and soon Martha and Thomas had completed the small crowd.

"Liam, she's beautiful… Look at that hair. She's going to have masses of it by the time she's Bruce's age!" Martha took the child in her arms and caressed her soft cheek. "Hopefully she won't be quite as terrifying as he is…" She offered a smile to her son, who was sitting with his arms crossed on the large couch.

"What's with the sour look, Bruce?" Liam asked.

"I want to see."

Martha brought the child to her son and sat beside him, placing Eleanor in his lap. He smiled brightly and held her tenderly, as one might hold a bunch of eggs. He ran his fingers down his cheek, and his face brightened even more when Eleanor awoke from her slumber to stare up at him with intense blue eyes.

"What's her name?" he asked, never looking away.

"Eleanor," Liam answered in a whisper.

"Ellie-nor!" Bruce said proudly.

"Yes, Ellie-nor."


	2. Chapter One: Introductions

**Disclaimer  
**I do not own Batman Begins. The marvelous people at DC Comics and the movie people do. I own Eleanor Black/Sophie Macarthur, her background and everyone associated with her who's not from the movie. I also own the parts of the plot that were added or changed. Nothing serious was done though, don't worry. The fic is rated for language, violence, sexual situations, drinking, blood, and a serious cat fight.

-

-

**Superhero's Confidante  
**Chapter One: _Introductions_

_-_

_-_

In Gotham City, there were three kinds of life – three ways to live. And they all revolved around money. There were the very poor people who lived on the streets and in the alleys of the underworld of Gotham, the middle-class families who had some money but lived in homes of rather disrepair, and finally, there were the families like mine, who had lots of money and gorgeous homes in which to reside. And most of them didn't give a rat's ass about those beneath them. They lived in luxury, spending money on clothing and things they didn't need. You could see them at night, parading about the fancy clubs and hotels, flaunting their diamonds and gold. It made me sick. Which is why I didn't live like that. I refused to.

I was part of the upper class. My parents were rich, and more than willing to give me whatever money I needed to live comfortably, but I refused it most of the time. I preferred to work for my money, and I did so as a freelance photographer, taking pictures of the different kinds of life in Gotham and selling them to magazines, newspapers and websites. I also worked as a secretary for one of the biggest companies in the city. My apartment was a fairly massive loft, divided by walls that didn't quite go all the way to the industrial ceilings. There was a separate bathroom, of course, with a bathtub big enough for about four people. My home was a present from my parents, and I shared it with my two Siberian Huskies, Blaze and Chill.

Liam and Naomi Black were my adoptive parents, actually. I learned during my teenage years that Liam had found me as a new born in an alley on his way home from work. Finding no one around, he had taken me to a hospital, and after dealing with a bitch of a woman from Child Services, he had taken me home. Liam named me Eleanor Alexandra Black, after his mother and his sister, respectively. I grew up comfortably and with the ideals of routines, and through most of my life, I lived by one. I ate three meals and two snacks, drank four bottles of water, brushed my teeth twice, walked and fed my dogs, and gave myself a good chunk of time each day. Occasionally, I went to rich-people parties with my parents and mingled, taking pictures for society columns and my own personal collection.

My life had settled into something fairly simple, and I like it that way. It was at one of those parties I mentioned that I met the man who would seriously complicate things.

-

The hotel lobby and dining room were awash with magnificently beautiful people parading around like peacocks, kissing each other on the cheek and flashing their jewels and designer gowns. Tables of food fanned out in every direction, and waiters looking like penguins darted through the crowd, trays of drinks held aloft. A perpetual murmur of noise hung over the room, and I… Well, I felt like a fish out of water.

I stood near to one of the buffet tables, holding my camera and snapping pictures of anyone who asked and anyone who didn't. I felt uncomfortable in my long and strapless red dress, and with my hair pinned up so elegantly, but I had promised Liam I'd try a little harder this time to fit in. Why I had agreed after such a long time of trying to be my own person and not a sheep in the ways of stardom? Because Bruce Wayne had come back from the dead and was at this party.

My fascination with the Wayne family had started early in life, when Thomas Wayne had come to visit my school. He had spoken about the state of poverty most of Gotham lived in and what he was doing to help. He also told us about the building plans he had. I had been attending a private school then, so much of the class didn't care; they only knew who Mr. Wayne was because he was rich and famous and probably had some influence in their parents' life. I, on the other hand, was intrigued by his work. I wanted to know more, I wanted to help these people he spoke about. To my fortune, Liam knew Thomas Wayne. They were quite close friends actually. I was supposed to go and meet him the day after his murder.

I had, of course, known Thomas and Martha Wayne had a son, and I knew his name was Bruce. I had met him once when I was newly born, but I obviously don't remember and I never saw him again after that. I didn't have the chance. He finished high school and then went away to Princeton, only coming back to Gotham for the trial of his parents' killer, Mr. Chill. After that, he disappeared for seven or so years and was declared dead.

He had come back now, and assumed his title as the Prince of Gotham.

And the Prince was standing across the room from me, smiling a fake smiling and looking absolutely handsome. He was two years my senior, but didn't look it. His hair was a dark brown and his eyes were an arresting hazely-green shade. Two women idled around him, sipping wine and smiling broadly at everyone. Bruce was talking to an official-looking man, taking occasional drinks from his own glass of wine and gazing around the room.

Their conversation was about the same as everyone else's. Batman. The mysterious crime fighter had just appeared out of the blue and started taking actions against Gotham's most notorious criminals and crime bosses and any wrong doer, really. Reviews of him were mixed. Some thought he was a great addition to our fair city while other's thought he was a menace and a criminal himself. I was in the first group. Actually, I was quite obsessed with Batman.

"Eleanor, why don't you go over and talk to him?"

I turned and smiled at Liam, taking a casual sip of my red wine. He was a handsome man with black hair and sharp blue-green eyes, straight features and pale skin. "I can't just go up to him and start talking. I'd feel like a fool, Dad." I smiled and looked over my shoulder at Bruce Wayne.

"Are you nervous, dear?" Naomi asked, approaching from my left side. She was a beautiful creature, and I had always thought so. Her hair was long, down to the middle of her back, and a deep red. Her eyes were a startling emerald green and kind. "I've never known a man to make you nervous." She smirked and brushed a strand of hair out of my face.

"I'm not nervous. I just don't think it would be proper-" I paused to finish off my wine, "-to just walk up to him and start talking like I knew him. I met him when I was what? Two days old? Do you honestly think he's going to remember me?"

"Come on, Ellie," Liam protested. "I'll introduce you – he knows me. You're a society photographer, so you have an excuse to meet him."

I reluctantly agreed and allowed Liam to lead me over to where the Prince of Gotham stood tall and proud. My parents were just pestering and teasing me; they did it quite frequently, and I was rather used to it. I was twenty seven and single, with no hope of getting married or even finding a boyfriend. I was too picky, too stuck to my routine to accept anyone the way they were, that was my problem. So any chance they got, Liam and Naomi would parade me around and introduce me to their friends' sons and hope something would happen. With Bruce Wayne, I knew, they really wanted something to happen. Thomas, Martha and my parents had been so close, they all had probably had some grand scheme in mind as soon as I was born.

Okay, so maybe not a grand scheme, but even I had to admit, it would be nice to be Mrs. Bruce Wayne…

"Bruce! It's been such a long time!" I heard Liam say.

I shook myself back into the present and put a smile on my face. We had reached the other side of the room and were standing in front of Bruce and his dates, who were both looking really bored and were eyeing the fountain at the front of the hotel. _I dare you to jump in, _I said to myself. _Ruin you're six thousand dollar dresses and your thousand dollar haircuts and your million dollar diamonds… Stupid rich girls. _

"This is my daughter, Eleanor."

I turned to face Bruce Wayne and smiled again, surprised to find it a genuine smile, unlike what had been there before. "Hello Mr. Wayne. How are you?" The speech was automatic, something I spewed forth often, but I was actually really curious about him.

"Excellent. It's a pleasure to meet you, Eleanor." His eyes, which were more green than hazel I now realized, fell to the camera in my hand. "Are you a photographer?" he asked.

I nodded. "I'm a society photographer for the local papers. I do freelance mostly… Actually, I was wondering if I could get a picture of you?" I raised my eyebrows, waiting for an answer – the eyebrow thing was a habit of mine - and held up my camera, ready. When he nodded and stepped back, I quickly snapped several shots of his face and then dropped my hand back to my side where it had been. "Thank you, Mr. Wayne," I said, and he smiled in reply. He had a wonderfully crooked smile…

"Bruce, I've got to go and give that dessert table a look," Liam suddenly said with a vivacious grin. "I'll leave you two here to talk – I know there's some things Ellie wanted to speak with you about. Have fun!"

And he was gone, leaving me with the richest and most famous man in Gotham. Another automatic reaction of mine took over and I launched into business mode. "I wanted to tell you how much I idolize your father for his work in Gotham. All the money he raised and donated and all the things he built, all trying to better the community. Your father was a really great man, Mr. Wayne."

"Thank you." His voice was sincere, but his eyes were distant. I had probably said something I shouldn't have, but he shook it off and nodded towards the dance floor. "Would you like to dance, Ms. Black?"

I didn't know what made him ask me to dance, but I agreed and we swept into the crowd of couples dancing. At this point, I was thanking God that Liam and Naomi had taught me how to dance, because I wouldn't have been keen on embarrassing myself in front of Bruce Wayne. We spoke as we danced keeping or conversation mostly in the area of work. My work, to be more accurate. He seemed quite interested in my photography, and honestly, I was flattered, so I gushed about my pictures which I had made a modest fortune off of and of the many papers, magazines and websites constantly chasing after my for my work. He didn't seem to mind my overtly egotistical speech, so I kept talking until he abruptly changed the subject and asked me what I thought about The Batman.

"Well…" I breathed, trying to find the words to express my obsession without making myself sound like a freak. It was very difficult. "I think… he's very interesting. He'd be a fascinating subject to photograph…" That was the truth about my feelings. Mind, it wasn't the whole truth, but it was part of it, and that was better than scaring Mr. Wayne, now wasn't it.

He smiled a little smile and lapsed into silence as we continued dancing. I wondered what the seemingly random jump of topics was about, if anything, but didn't press the issue. Our conversation fell back to the business side of things and we danced for a few more songs.

When we were finished, I excused myself and rejoined my parents in the dining room. I was rather happy at the turn the evening had taken and thanked Liam excessively. He smiled knowingly like he did whenever I thanked him and kissed my cheek.

That night would have been perfect.

But then she showed up. Rachel Dawes. I saw her at the door as I was leaving, and she was talking to Bruce. Rage and jealously flared somewhere deep within me, and confused, I suppressed the feelings.

I had known Rachel since the first grade and we had always been rivals. She had always strived to be better than me, and from what I can recall, I always forced myself into my position of superiority above her. I think I liked to watch her squirm. That sounds horrible, but it was the truth. I won't deny it. When we had reached the second grade, I became somewhat of a loner, preferring to spend my time sitting in a corner, drawing or reading, and it was from there I watched Rachel become the queen of the school, suddenly mightier than anyone else because her mother worked at Wayne Manor and she was friends with Bruce Wayne. I suppose it bothered me when she first started bragging, but it didn't really matter until Thomas became one of my idols – then I became infuriated with her.

She had become a popular district attorney and she was always at these rich-people parties too, but that night, I had been hoping she wouldn't turn up.

I held my head high as I neared the doorway though, and made sure to smile at Bruce in recognition. The gesture had the desired effect as I could almost see Rachel's eyes turning red.

"Hello Eleanor," she said bitterly. It was almost a hiss.

"Rachel… How nice it is to see you again…" My greeting _was_ a hiss. I wasn't leaving anything to the mind. I wasn't happy to see her, and if I was a snake, I would have bitten her. Hell, if I was anywhere else but there at that moment, I probably would have bitten her regardless of my species. Not wanting to be there any longer than necessary, I turned to Bruce and smiled again. "Thank you for the dance, Mr. Wayne." I had made my voice smooth, purposely contrary to when I spoke to Rachel; I noticed Bruce chuckle as he picked up on my feelings.

"Good night, Ms. Black."

I walked a short ways down the sidewalk before I began trying to hail a cab. I had a car, but I preferred to walk or take a cab in downtown Gotham. The ride home was about fifteen minutes, and as I crawled into bed forty minutes after arriving at my loft, I was slightly disturbed by my dreams all having something to do with Bruce Wayne.


	3. Chapter Two: Changes

**Disclaimer  
**I do not own Batman Begins. The marvelous people at DC Comics and the movie people do. I own Eleanor Black, her background and everyone associated with her who's not from the movie. I also own the parts of the plot that were added or changed. Nothing serious was done though, don't worry. The fic is rated for language, violence, sexual situations, drinking, blood, and a serious cat fight.

-

-

**Superhero's Confidante  
**Chapter Two: _Changes_

_-_

_-_

The changes started the day after the party. Instead of following my routine, like I would have done normally, I stayed in my pajamas and watched movies all day, while I pigged out on ice cream, pizza, pop and other junk food items I suddenly craved – something I hadn't done since I was a teenager.

The phone ringing around six o'clock was what brought me out of my trance-like state. I was rather angry as I answered it though, as I was quite enjoying my day to myself.

"Hello," I spat. I didn't even know who it was, I hadn't bothered to look at the ID display on my phone.

_"Eleanor? Is this a bad time?" _

I choked on the mush of pizza that had been in my mouth, swallowed, and tried vainly to find some words to cover my nasty greeting. "Mr-Mr Earle! I wasn't expecting anyone to call – I apologize for snapping – What is it? Was I supposed to be in? Do you need me to do something? Is something wrong?"

_"Stop babbling Eleanor. Nothing's wrong. I just need you to come into Wayne Tower and do some of the organizing for my wife's garden party or whatever the hell she's having this weekend. The planner left the project for some reason and my wife's having a fit."_

I rolled my eyes. "I can help, Mr. Earle. Is it just financial stuff?"

_"I'm not even sure. All the files can be accessed from my computer in my office." _

"Right. I'll head over there in fifteen minutes."

_"Thank you Eleanor."_

"No problem."

With a grunt, I hung up the phone and rolled off the couch. It was just like Mr. Earle to call and make me do something on my day off. I _was _his personal secretary, but I don't think that gave him the right to make me do planning stuff for his wife's garden parties… Why did I agree? Oh, I don't know – just because I knew it meant a bonus in my next paycheck. A nice bonus. So, however reluctantly it was, I got myself dressed in my favourite bootleg jeans and a black cashmere sweater, pulled on my knee-high, heeled boots and propelled myself into a cab and across the city to Wayne Tower.

-

As I had expected, Mr. Earle himself wasn't in his office on the top floor of Wayne Tower, but the building wasn't deserted. Many of the lower-level office mice were there, and the mole-like human beings who worked in the labs beneath the light were _all _still in their white coats, working away. The cafeteria was buzzing with a low hum of noise, and I wasn't so nervous being alone in the big office as I could have been.

I was seated behind the massive wooden desk, typing away, finishing the obvious planning patterns the hired help had started when the phone rang. With an eyebrow raised, I peered at the number and name on the caller display.

APPLIED SCIENCES ext. 413

I knew the extension, so I picked up the phone and stuck it to my ear. "Hello Mr. Fox. How are you doing?"

_"Eleanor? What are you doing in Mr. Earle's office, answering his phone?"_

I laughed. Mr. Lucius Fox was the only employee in the Applied Sciences department. He was a fairly tall African-American who was insanely smart. His ash-coloured hair was slowly turning to snow but his bright eyes were always shining youthfully. He was a close friend of Liam's and, by extension, mine. "I'm working on some plans for Mrs. Earle's party this weekend. Mr. Earle asked me to do it as a favour."

_"A favour with a big bonus attached, right?"_

"You know me too well, Lucius."

_"You just stay there then, and I'll come up. I'm done for the night and could use a friendly chat. Is that all right?" _

"Of course. I'll be done this planning by the time you get up here anyways."

I hung up the phone, smiling to myself. If I knew Lucius, which I did, he'd bring up food from the cafeteria. He probably hadn't eaten since early that morning himself, but he would bring food that I wanted and liked more than what he wanted. I secretly hoped he'd bring up some ice cream or more pizza. Or anything of the junk food category, which I was still craving. And I was right, as about thirty minutes later, Lucius appeared, smiling and holding a pizza and a bag, which I assumed held cans of pop. I was also correct about my work, as I just finished the planning as he entered the office.

He sat the box and bag on the desk between us and then pulled up a chair across from me. "Mr. Earle sure has a nice office," he said as he sat down.

I had already begun devouring a slice of the pepperoni and cheese pizza. "Yeah, but he's hardly ever here. I think he spends more time golfing over business matters than doing any _actual_ work." I, of course, knew this was a lie, but I wasn't really fond of my boss.

"Now, now, Eleanor. Be nice."

I stuck my tongue out playfully and then smiled as our conversation subsided to that of friends. He asked how I had been and I gratefully relayed to him the events of the party – my face flushing a deep red at the mention of Bruce Wayne - and think I may have accidentally dropped a suggestion towards my dreams. Regardless of his thoughts though, he laughed and informed me that he had met Bruce, and that he had taken up a position in the Applied Sciences department, which consisted of him taking home all the cool gadgets and otherwise down there. I wondered to myself why a billionaire playboy such as himself would need all those high-tech goodies…

-

Around eight o'clock I was one hundred percent finished my work for Mr. Earle and I had enjoyed my time with Lucius. Now, I was heading home, tired and wanting nothing more than to curl up on my bed and go to sleep.

It was dark, and only the streetlights were there to light my way; their yellowish glow flickered off the glass windows of the office buildings. I was walking home, only because I hadn't seen a cab around to give me a ride, and I was trying very hard not to be nervous. I had my MP3 player's headphones jabbed in my ears and was listening to my music – jazz from earlier years – in a vain attempt to pay no attention to the darkness around me. I was clutching my purse rather tightly and had my hands deep in the pockets of my leather coat. As I turned a corner that took me away from the main artery I'd been walking along, a shiver of foreboding caught me by surprise.

"Drop the purse, now."

The cold finger of a gun dug into the back of my head; I could feel the low temperature of the metal through my hair. I stopped suddenly and closed my eyes, letting my red leather purse slide to the ground with a dull thump, my body shaking with fear. This was how Thomas and Martha Wayne had been killed… Was I next? A flicker at the recognition of the glamorous connection between the deaths entered my mind but than quickly left. I didn't want to die… Not like this anyways… Not defenseless, weak…

"Now your jewelry."

Tears began to slide down my cheeks against my will, and my body began to shake more violently. It took longer than it should have to undo the clasp of the white gold necklace Liam and Naomi had given my for my last birthday, and the mugger pressed the gun harder into my head; the metal was cutting, and I could have sworn I felt blood oozing from broken flesh. As I reached my hand backwards to relinquish ownership of the beloved necklace, there was a swooshing noise, and a matte black like the darkest of hours on the cloudiest of nights, descended over us.

I knew immediately what it was.

Batman.

It was over before anything beyond that could register, and I was left standing on the roof of my loft, clutching my coat around me, my purse in a heap at my feet. I was breathing heavier than I had been during the attack, and my face was flushed, just as it had been when I had been speaking about Bruce earlier that day. I didn't really know how I'd gotten onto the roof, but, gratefully, I gathered up my purse and myself and trudged downstairs, when I realized the mugger had gotten away with my necklace.

"He got it…" I whispered, sitting heavily on the couch. My dogs curled up on either side of me, and nuzzled lovingly, spreading my jacket with drool and fur; I hadn't even bothered to take my boots off, I was so distracted. I sighed, looked down at them, and smiled despite my dismay. "Oh well… Batman saved me… I would probably have died if he hadn't…"

KNOCK.  
KNOCK.  
KNOCK.

A calm, even knock. I didn't know who it could be. I wasn't expecting anyone and I rarely got unexpected visitors… A confused look on my face and one eyebrow raised, I strode to the door and slowly opened it. No one was there.

KNOCK.  
KNCOK.  
KNOCK.

I spun around, realizing there was a glassy tinge to the knock, and stared at the wide ledge of my window where Batman crouched, nearly invisible in the darkness around him. Almost stupidly slow, I crossed the room and lifted the heavy pane above me head. With a click, it fell into place and I leaned forward, sticking my head into the chilling air; the air felt good as my face had gone red again and I was feeling rather warm.

"Here," he said in a rough, deep voice. "He almost got away with this." His gloved hand extended, holding my necklace.

I smiled and took the necklace, returning it at once to its place around my neck. "Thank you," I whispered, touching the feather charm dangling in line with my sternum. My thoughts at that moment were something along the lines of 'Oh my God, I'm talking to Batman'.

He didn't say anything, but inclined his chin in a nod before leaping from the window ledge into the air and gliding towards the roof of the building next door. I watched until I could no longer make out even the slightest edge of his form. Then, I sat back on my couch and proceeded to stare at the floor. I was feeling a lot of things right then, confusion being one of the lesser emotions. Why had he saved me? It must have just been a coincidence. Batman must have been heading somewhere else – seen me being attacked, decided to save me. That sort of thing…

I contented myself with that explanation and went to bed.

* * *

**Author's Note  
**Sorry for the dely. School's a bitch. So is work and getting your Wisdom teeth yanked outta your head. Ugh. Anyways, here it is after so long, Chapter Two of my favourite fanfiction I've ever written. That's just because I'm in love with Christian Bale and Batman. Uh, duh. I took out the 'Sophie MacArthur' part of the plot, not that any of you know what that is anyways. It didn't make any sense while I was planning out the rest of the fanfiction. And it's going to move rather quickly, the next chapter being a BIG one with lots of important things. I'm not even going to estimate when it'll be up, but it shouldn't take as long as this one did, because my first semester is almost over, and I only have one exam, so I've got a bit of a break coming up when I'll have nothing to do during the day. The solution - write! But yeah, this chapter took a while to get out because the original version actually should have happened before Chapter One - I didn't pick a very good spot to start to the fic in hindsight - so I had to re-write it and I ended up with this. I'm not exactly in love with this chapter, but I hope you all like it.

Thank you all for the positive reviews, too. It means a lot to me.

- Phoenixx.


	4. Chapter Three: Family Time, Not

**Disclaimer  
**I do not own Batman Begins. The marvelous people at DC Comics and the movie people do. I own Eleanor Black, her background and everyone associated with her who's not from the movie. I also own the parts of the plot that were added or changed. Nothing serious was done though, don't worry. The fic is rated for language, violence, sexual situations, drinking, blood, and a serious cat fight.

**-**

**-**

**Superhero's Confidante  
**Chapter Three: _Family Time… Not_

_-_

_-_

"You're such a liar!"

I grinned mischievously at my friend, Jessica. She was a secretary at Wayne Enterprises too, although her job was more general than mine. Her desk was outside the main board room, and I hardly ever saw her during work. Today, we had taken their lunch break around the same time, and I had decided to fill Jessica in on the events of two nights ago.

"I'm not lying, Jess. I swear it. Batman saved me and then he was on my window sill with the necklace the mugger almost got away with," I said, putting another forkful of my salad in my mouth with one hand, and subconsciously touching the necklace with the other one. The Batman had intruded on my dreams of Bruce Wayne, but I didn't mind. Actually, the girlish crush I had on the caped crusader made me smile at myself.

"That's awesome," Jess breathed. "I'd _loved _to be saved by Batman. He's so… mysterious and sexy." She grinned deviously across the table at me, and then retracted, blushing. "You probably think I'm silly."

"Not at all."

We fell into a bought of young-girl laughter and then the conversation melted back to work. This was the routine when Jessica and I actually got to have lunch: we'd fill each other in on the excited stuff and then concentrate on the boring news – work, day to day life. That sort of thing. At Wayne Enterprises, employees had forty-five minutes for lunch, and Jessica and I filled the entire time every time; I didn't have many close friends, but she was one of them.

"Have you seen Mr. Wayne yet, Eleanor?" she asked me as we rose for our chairs and prepped ourselves to head back into the corporate jungle.

I nodded. "At that party a week or so ago. I went with my parents to take some photos for the magazines and papers and such, and my dad dragged me over to introduce me to Mr. Wayne." I smiled, remembering. "I danced with him."

Jessica made some sort of whooping noise. "Go, Eleanor, go!" She laughed. "You've been hanging out with Bruce Wayne _and _Batman! You're such a whore," she teased.

I stuck my tongue out childishly as we parted ways at the elevators. She headed up to her desk, and I headed straight, out the doors. My day was a half day, as I was spending the afternoon with Naomi. We were going shopping and I was very, very excited.

Twenty minutes later, I met my mother at the doors to our favourite mall, and we headed inside, mouths moving a mile a minute and minds exploring all the possibilities of spending. Naomi and I had these shopping trips every once in a while – usually every three months or so. It was the major indulgence I allowed myself; I could say "Hey, I'm rich. Why not spend a ridiculous amount of money?" And trust me, Naomi and I were experts at spending a ridiculous amount of money in a relatively short amount of time.

"We have to go to that new formal dress store," Naomi said as we left the cosmetics store we had just spent an hour in. "You need a new dress for the party coming up."

"What party?" I asked, jogging slightly to catch up with my mother. She'd picked up her pace, as she usually did when excited. "Dad hasn't mentioned anything to me about any parties coming up, and I haven't heard anything from any of the newspapers or magazines. If it's any sort of high-class party, they'd want me there."

Naomi laughed, and I was a bit unsettled. "Liam's gotten you an invitation to Bruce Wayne's birthday party!"

I froze, dead in my tracks, in the middle of the mall hallway. "What?"

She laughed again, and re-traced her steps to stand beside me. "Liam and I were invited, naturally, and since you and Mr. Wayne hit it off so nicely at the party a little while ago, Liam asked Bruce's butler, Alfred, you could attend to." Naomi placed a hand on my shoulder. "And there you go, getting all nervous at the mention of Bruce. I think I've finally found someone you _want _to get involved with…"

"Don't even joke, mother!" The last word came out a little harsher than I meant it to, but Naomi laughed and once again resumed her journey to the other end of the mall. "It's not like I could ever be with him anyways…" I muttered to myself, as I caught up with my mom.

"What do you mean by that?"

Startled that she had heard me, I forced a confident smile onto my face. "I just don't think – even if I _did _like Bruce Wayne that way – that there would be much of a chance for something to happen. He's too much of a playboy."

Naomi opened her mouth to reply, but we entered the new store and her attention was immediately captured by the glittering dresses around her. With the help of the attendant, a young woman with fake blonde hair and a tired smile, we placed our shopping bags in the largest change room and then ventured into the mass of colourful dresses. The store was arranged by colour, and I headed straight for the black gowns. I felt the most comfortable in black.

"No, Eleanor. No black. You need something that'll make you stand out…" Naomi flicked some of her brilliant red hair from her eyes and turned towards the blue dresses. "How about something blue? It'll match your eyes?"

"How about red?"

"You wore red to the last party, darling. You can't wear the same colour."

I sighed and allowed her to pull me around the store. It didn't take long for her to chose about ten or eleven dresses and then usher me into the fitting room. The first dress I maneuvered my way into was a deep blue and floor-length. It was too puffy. The next one was too tight in the chest, and the one after that was too short. Three of them were too bright and the colours made me look washed out, and the grey dress I tried on made me look like I was dead. Naomi and the sales assistant took the first load of dresses away and brought in the second pile. The majority of the second group had something wrong with them, but as I slipped on a crimson gown my mother had reluctantly agreed to letting me try on, I knew I'd found my dress.

"Oh Ellie…" Naomi breathed, standing beside me and looking in the mirror. "It's gorgeous…"

"I told you red was my colour." I would have smirked triumphantly, but I was staring at myself. I _did _look good. The dress fit like it had been made for me. It was fitted and long, the skirt was full but not puffy and as I walked around the change room, I gave the impression of gliding. "It's perfect," I declared after forcing a bit of movement on the garment.

"Great! Now we need to get you shoes!"

-

We left the mall with arms completely full of purchases. My new dress as well as a beautiful pair of black wedge sandals were the highlight of my day. Naomi and I piled the bags in the back of her SUV and then climbed in the front; I had taken the subway from work and my car was safely at home in the parking garage.

"Where are we headed now?" I asked, fastening my seatbelt and pulling down the visor mirror to check my makeup.

"Out to the Narrows."

I sat back and groaned like a ungrateful teenager. "Do we have to go?" I groaned again as Naomi nodded.

My father was a doctor, and tended to have very good relationships with some of his patients. Naomi thought she had some sort of obligation to visit said patients, and enjoyed dragging me along. She'd pick up some food on the way, and share dinner with the (usually) older person, and then spend several hours talking about current events or listening to stories about the good ol' days. Since I had been little, I'd been taken on these outings, and I always spent the entire time on the couch or floor with my nose in a book or, depending on the neighbourhood, wandering around taking pictures or sketching. I didn't have a book with me, my sketchbook or my camera this time.

Naomi stopped near the bridge to the island, at a fast-food chicken place and picked up a family meal-deal. The smell from the meat made my stomach grumble, and I was tempted reach back to pick at the food as my mother slid it behind my seat. I refrained.

The buildings around us began to darken and deteriorate as we neared the part of Gotham City called the Narrows. More homeless people appeared on the streets, some reaching out to the car with grubby fingers and desperate smiles on their faces. I sunk lower in the passenger seat, and stared straight ahead, feeling guilty and a little scared.

Naomi pulled the car into the parking garage of a tall apartment building, and locked in down securely, hiding our shopping bags in the secret compartment beneath the heavy toolbox and set the alarm. I followed her into the building and into the elevator, an expression of child-like boredom on my face.

The patient we were visiting lived on the top floor, and was a kindly old lady who owned five or six cats. We had visited her plenty of times when I was younger. Her apartment smelled faintly of cat pee and chemical cleaning liquids, and there was flatness to the whole place. Mrs. Johnston, a widow, greeted us with a bright smile and shining eyes, standing out significantly from the room around her, and urged us forward into the kitchen, where she already had the table set and the milk poured. She had known we were coming.

Over dinner, the conversation was kept between Naomi and Mrs. Johnston. I only spoke when I was addressed or had something worthwhile to contribute; I still felt like a little girl, and briefly pictured myself sitting at the table, swinging my feet back and forth because they didn't quite reach the ground. When I had finished my meal, I excused myself from the table and said I was going to go outside. I was warned that it was going to rain, so I shouldn't stay out too long. I took the advice with a smile and strode across the living room to the large window and pulled it open, shutting it behind me as I slid onto the roof of the neighbouring building.

I stood at the edge and looked down on the alley below, laundry lines crisscrossing from window to window and people on mopeds and motorized scooters zipping through the narrow space. Shouting in another language – Asian by the sounds of it – arose across from me. I shrugged it away and slid to sit down with my back against the stone.

No less than five minutes later, the rain came. I laughed and welcomed it, allowing the chill water to soak through my clothes and touch my skin.

"Eleanor, come back inside!" I heard Naomi yell.

I ignored her, knowing she wouldn't tell me to come back inside again. I was a big girl – I could make my own decisions, and she knew that. I stood up and began spinning in slow circles, sticking my tongue out to catch the raindrops. Childish and fun.

A sharp scream broke the pitter patter of raindrops and I stopped, turned.

A hook shot over the edge of the roof and a whirring noise hummed into my ears above the rain. I began to breath heavily, frozen in place, staring at the place where someone, something was going to come onto the roof and intrude on my privacy; water dripping annoying from my nose, but I barely noticed. Steam suddenly wafted into my eyes, and then the heat intensified as a mass of black and flames rolled on the ground by my feet. Then I was on my knees, slapping my jacket over the flames, trying to put them out.

It was Batman, and he was on fire.

I was dimly aware of him saying something, of the people leaning out of their windows all around us, looking out, whispering, yelling things, but I couldn't make out any words. My vision was tunneled, my sole focus putting the fire out, helping the man who had saved my life.

"Alfred…" I heard him croak, and something in the back of my mind clicked.

* * *

**Author's Note** Woo, Chapter Three! Excellent. Chapter Four is going to be good. Dramatic. Fun.


	5. Chapter Four: Secrets

**Disclaimer  
**I do not own Batman Begins. The marvelous people at DC Comics and the movie people do. I own Eleanor Black, her background and everyone associated with her who's not from the movie. I also own the parts of the plot that were added or changed. Nothing serious was done though, don't worry. The fic is rated for language, violence, sexual situations, drinking, blood, and a serious cat fight.

-

-

**Superhero's Confidante  
**Chapter Four: _Secrets_

_-_

_-_

I woke up in a strange room. It was decorated richly, in deep reds and creams and golds. My first instinct was to look at the clock, like I always did when I woke up. It was early morning, but I wasn't tired in the least. On the contrary, I was full of energy and wanted to find out where I was. So I untangled myself from the heavy blankets and stood on the thick carpet, wiggling my toes into the plush-ness; my shoes and coat were the only items of clothing missing, and I found them sitting on a chair against the wall.

The hallway into which I entered was, in one word, intimidating. It was long, and full of statues and paintings with prying eyes staring into my soul. Ok, so not quite into my soul by the eyes definitely followed me as I walked down the corridor, peering into the rooms with open doors. All I saw was ornate furniture looking like it didn't get much use. After some lengthy exploration, I stumbled upon a room which looked lived in.

There were clothes in a pile against one wall, underneath a window with an amazing view, and the bed looked… rumpled. Like there was someone sleeping in it.

Upon close inspection, I discovered there was someone sleeping in it.

Bruce Wayne.

With an impact like a punch to the gut, the memories of what transpired only a few hours ago slammed into my mind. Batman, a mass of flaming whatever landing in a heap at my feet on the roof, then a voice calling for someone by the name of Alfred – why did that name sound familiar to me? – and then just… cold and dark. Nothing else before I woke up here. In the Wayne Mansion.

And _then _it hit me. Harder than a punch to the gut. More like a… a… brick to the head. Or something. But it hit me hard.

Bruce Wayne _was _Batman. There was no other explanation to the sequence of events. Flaming Batman at my feet, wake up at Wayne Manor. Nope. No other explanation. Overwhelmed by this realization, I sat on the floor and stared at the intricate design of the rug beneath me.

"Ah, Ms. Black, you're up. Excellent."

A small noise of surprise escaped from my lips as I jumped. The knot in my stomach from being startled dissolved when I turned and faced the elder man with snowy white hair. He smiled kindly at me and knew who he was at once. Alfred. Now there really was no question. I pointed at the slumbering form of Bruce, as the words "Is he…?" croaked from my throat.

"Dead? Certainly not. He inhaled something which did not agree with him. Lucius should be here soon to start running tests in order to prepare an antidote. Master Wayne will be fine."

"Batman?" I croaked again, finishing my interrupted thought.

"Oh…" Alfred seemed to roll the idea of telling me the truth in his mind before finally deciding I must have already figured it out. "Yes. Master Wayne is Batman."

-

I must have fainted or something because when I opened my eyes, I was looking at Bruce's sleeping form from a chair at the side of his bed. Blinking the gunk out of my eyes, I looked around for Alfred, but didn't see him. So I stood up, looking for a clock on the other side of Bruce. I didn't see one. I sat back down and instead studied the sleeping billionaire.

I tried to picture him in the Batman costume, but it was a lot harder than I expected it to be. He seemed so different as he lay there, unmoving. It didn't make sense in my mind that this was the man who dressed up as a giant bat and flew around fighting crime. Bruce looked very vulnerable then, in his room, covered to the shoulders in the heavy blankets, not moving, breaths barely visible… It was unsettling, actually.

"Eleanor? Are you all right?"

The voice was that of Lucius, and I found him standing at the doorway behind me. "I'm fine… What happened to him?" I asked, my eyes falling back on Bruce.

"He inhaled a vapourized hallucinogen. A rather serious drug that's affecting his mind. He's been put into a deep sleep and he probably won't wake up for another two days at least." Lucius appeared at my side, his hand on my shoulder. "Do you know what he was doing?"

Immediately, instinctively, I shook my head. "No… I don't."

I knew Lucius wanted to asked me why I was at the mansion, but he was smarter than that and didn't. Instead, he just strode from the room, leaving me alone with Bruce once again.

I sat there, for a long time, just watching him, taking in his appearance in the new light with which I viewed him. He was no longer this intimidating figure… Now, he was just another human, driven by some unknown cause to do the things he did… He was… normal. Everyone had a cause driving them to do whatever they did, even if it was nothing extraordinary.

And actually, Bruce Wayne being Batman wasn't that hard to fathom anymore. He had lots of money, access to funky gadgets through the company… which he already had because he had taken them almost as soon as he had come back from the dead. Lucius had told me about it. I mentally slapped myself for not picking up on that detail earlier. I _hadn't _picked up on that earlier because I had been to busy fawning of Bruce Wayne and fangirling over Batman.

Suddenly, Bruce stirred, drawing me out of my thoughts.

It was a slight movement. A flick of his head, nothing more, but it was enough to cause me to leap forward, onto the bed, putting my face close to his, eager to see if he would move again; I could feel his shallow breaths on my nose. I hovered above him for a few long minutes, but he didn't move again, so I sunk onto the bed beside him. I kept my eyes on his face, but my expression changed from eager to exasperated. I knew he wasn't waking up anytime soon.

"Ms. Black, why don't you come downstairs to the kitchen?" Alfred said, coming into the room. "I've got some breakfast prepared and I think you should eat something."

Slowly, I nodded, and followed him through a maze of hallways, down to the kitchen. It was a lot smaller than I expected, with a charming air and a slightly country-style decorating scheme. A small feast was common breakfast foods was set out on the small table. As I sat down, I looked at Alfred with a raised eyebrow.

"I wasn't sure what you liked, Ms. Black."

"You could have just asked me, Alfred." My stomach grumbled, and I realized I was hungrier than I had thought. "But, I'm hungry, so I should be able to eat most of it."

He smiled and then left the room, leaving me to my food. As he left, though, he mentioned something about letting me explore the mansion to my heart's content, as there was nothing to hide from me. I planned to take him up on that offer. There was something pulling at me in this house. It wanted to be explored.

I finished a massive breakfast of waffles, eggs, bacon, roast potatoes, toast, coffee and orange juice, and, after piling the dishes in the sink, I headed back upstairs, trying my best to retrace the path Alfred had led me on only a short while ago. I wasn't having much luck, and I swear I passed a beautiful painting of the manor about eight times. Eventually, I ended up back in the hallway where Bruce's room was, and I used that as my starting point before heading straight down to the end of the hallway. I found myself in a study there, full of dusty books, furniture, and knick-knacks, and a forgotten-looking piano.

Except for several keys…

Curious, I pressed the keys in a random order and then waited. Nothing happened. I didn't really know what I was expecting to happen, though…

-

I ate lunch in Bruce's room, along with Alfred. I sat on the bed beside Bruce and he sat on a chair beside the bed, every now and then, wiping sweat from his master's brow and neck. Since Lucius had administered the antidote, Bruce had begun to stir more, and make small noises, sometimes almost forming words. Every time this happened, Alfred would tense up, and I could see it on his face, that he was hoping for Bruce to open his eyes.

"How long have you served the Wayne family, Alfred?" I asked, shifting my position on the bed to lie on my stomach, propping my head up with my hands.

"Since I was a teenager, Ms. Black. My father served them before me. They are… were… a kind family, and a pleasure to serve. Master Bruce is a little colder than his parents, but he has reason to be. I can only imagine how traumatizing it would have been to witness the murder of your parents…" His face turned distant, and I felt guilt rise in my gut.

"I'm sorry, Alfred, I didn't mean to bring up anything painful…"

He immediately straightened and smiled at me. "It's all right, Ms. Black. I know your intentions were innocent."

A thick silence fell over the room, and my eyes inadvertently fell to Bruce's face. I was aware of a change in mood from Alfred, and when I looked back up at him, I found him smiling in my direction.

"What?" My cheeks flushed.

"Ms. Black, do you have… feelings, for Master Wayne?"

My cheeks flushed more, and my temperature rose alarmingly high. My mouth opened and closed, but I couldn't find the words to express anything that was running through my head. When Alfred chuckled to himself, I found words. "Why does _everyone _think that?"

"Because, my dear, it's rather obvious."

I crossed my arms and pouted. "Fine. Whatever. I have feelings for him. Is it _that _surprising? He's like, the most popular bachelor in Gotham City. Every woman has feelings for him. Mind you, most of them just want to bang him and then steal his money. Oh, and the fame that would come with it. But, you know, no one is going to end up with him because he's got to take two different girls to every party he goes to." I turned to Alfred rather suddenly. "Is he really like that? Is he really such a playboy?"

"No, Ms. Black. He's not." Alfred smiled at me, in a fatherly way that I found comforting. "The playboy is a façade he has to keep suspicion away from him. He doesn't want anyone knowing he's Batman. I imagine he'll be a little annoyed that you found out, but I could be wrong." His smiled widened and my face reddened again. "He did mention something about feeling he could trust you…"

I knew he'd said it to get at me, and it was working. Beside me, Bruce stirred again, a little more violently this time, his hand hitting my foot gently. My face cooled, the colour fading away. Looking at him calmed me… "Is he taking anyone to his birthday party, Alfred?"

"Not that I know of, Ms. Black. You seem the likely choice."

* * *

**Author's Note:** So, it's not quite as dramatic as I thought it was going to be. But I like it. I hope you all do to. Thanks for all the good feedback! I'm glad people actually like this story.


	6. Chapter Five: Awake

**Disclaimer  
**I do not own Batman Begins. The marvelous people at DC Comics and the movie people do. I own Eleanor Black, her background and everyone associated with her who's not from the movie. I also own the parts of the plot that were added or changed. Nothing serious was done though, don't worry. The fic is rated for language, violence, sexual situations, drinking, blood, and a serious cat fight.

-

-

**Superhero's Confidante  
**Chapter Five: _Awake_

_-_

_-_

I spent the next day and a half exploring Wayne Manor and thinking. What was thinking about? Many things. It was hard to focus on the beauty of the building around me. My attention was all wound up thinking about Bruce and everything associated; Batman and my feelings for the man behind the mask being right up at the top of that list. I couldn't help but think I'd fallen for him very fast, but it didn't seem that strange. I'd fallen for him fast, yes, but it felt… right.

Besides, I had changed. In the past weeks, since I'd met Bruce at that party, I'd shifted from someone obsessed with the routines she'd held dear for so long, to someone eager to try new things everyday. It was a hard change to explain even to myself, but I felt, oddly enough, that I had found something I should be doing.

Amidst my exploration of the mansion, Alfred and I had taken an hour or so to head back over to my loft so I could gather up the things I needed and to take my dogs over to my parent's house; Lucius had remained at the manor to make sure everything went smoothly. When I had told Naomi and Liam why I was going to be away for an undetermined amount of time, they smiled warmly at me, my mother taking the opportunity to wink and nudge my elbow obviously. I shoved her playfully. Alfred and my father exchanged some friendly words before the older man and I returned to Wayne Manor where I unpacked my things and settled into a room which had been devoid of an occupant for a very long time.

-

I was sitting on the bed beside Bruce's unmoving form late on the third evening when he started making more incoherent noises than he had since he'd received the antidote. I slowly placed the random book I'd been reading on the bedside table and turned to face Bruce. The noises weren't what made me anxious just then, it was the slow movements of his hand against my foot.

"Bruce?" I whispered so quietly I barely heard myself.

His hand came to rest on my knee and his eyes fluttered open a tiny bit. I moved closer and placed my hand on his, smiling warmly and happy to see him coming around. The urge to run and tell Alfred poked me for a moment, but I ignored it, knowing the butler would be in soon to do a routine checkup.

"Bruce? Can you hear me?" He gave a small nod; still semi-unconscious, he couldn't do much more. "Are you feeling all right?"

In the next instant, he seemed to be fully awake and back to his normal self. Bruce was propped up against the headboard, in a half-sitting position and smiling at me. There was a glint in his greenish eyes which I knew was all the pent up energy; I imagine he didn't spend too many periods of more than a few hours lying in bed at any one time.

"I feel fine," he said. His hand was still on my knee, and my hand was still on his.

A sudden surge of frustration bubbled in my gut and I punched his shoulder. "You should have told me!" I burst, my eyes narrowing slightly into what would have been a playful glare.

He looked at his shoulder and then raised an eyebrow at me. "Told you what?"

"That you were Batman!" Even as the words left my mouth, I realized what a ridiculous request that was. I opened my mouth to say something else, but he was already talking.

"Why? I only met you a little while ago."

My realization confirmed, I sat back on my butt and crossed my arms. I sighed and deflated slightly, my mouth bunched with disappointment or something similar at myself. A second later, all of that had vanished and I moved so I was sitting beside Bruce, leaning on the headboard. "I'm glad you're OK," I said, placing my hand on his arm, and looking down at the place of contact; I couldn't help my eyes drifting over his well-defined chest and abs.

For a moment, we sat there in silence, my hand never moving from his arm. At one point, when I looked up, I found him looking at me and it was then the silence became a little uncomfortable but not unpleasant. He climbed out of the bed, mentioning something about finding some food, and then disappeared into the bathroom adjoining his room. I exited the room and waited for him in the hallway. When he emerged, wearing a t-shirt along with his striped pajama pants and a blue housecoat, I smiled and we headed down towards the kitchen. He seemed surprised when I led the way.

"I spent a good chunk of the time you were out exploring the house," I informed him, allowing myself a small smile of triumph. "I'd hazard to say I know it pretty well now. Well enough not to get lost anymore, anyways." I looked over my shoulder at him as we entered the kitchen. "There's some really beautiful stuff covered up around here."

He nodded, a look of sadness taking over.

"Are you angry I found out about you being Batman?" I asked quietly, changing the subject.

Bruce sat down on the table across from me and shook his head. "No. I know you won't tell anyone… Willingly, anyways." He looked up at me, smiling a bit. "It's weird, but I have this feeling that I can trust you."

I smiled too, remembering Alfred telling me the same thing. "You can."

Alfred chose that moment to walk in, and I couldn't help feel a little cheated. I wasn't sure why, exactly, but I did and I cast a slight glare his way. I was smiling at the same time, so he couldn't have taken it seriously. He smiled at me in greeting but then his attention was all on Bruce, as it should have been.

"It's good to see you up and about, Master Wayne."

"How long have I been out, Alfred?" he asked.

"Two days, sir. It's your birthday." Alfred laughed when a look of blatant confusion passed over Bruce's face. "The preparations for your party have already begun, and the guests should be arriving in a few hours. It's almost three in the afternoon now." I could tell Alfred meant that as a cue to start getting ready.

KNOCK.  
KNOCK.  
KNOCK.

The light, quick knock at the door pulled all three of us into the entrance hall. Alfred stepped forward and pulled one side of the double doors open, revealing Rachel. She looked up, and twitched a smile as she fidgeted with something in her hands.

Bruce stepped forward. "Rachel," he said.

"Hello Bruce." Her eyes drifted beyond his shoulder and found me. Immediately, her gaze darkened. "Eleanor," she spat. "Why is she here?" I heard her whisper as she turned back towards Bruce. When she didn't get an answer, she continued, "I came here to bring you this." She handed him the things with which she had been fidgeting. It was a present.

"You're not coming to the party?" he asked.

I lost interest in the exchange and leaned on the wall beside Alfred, who was keeping a sideways eye on me. He was probably making sure I wasn't going to lash out at Rachel. That was one subject I had really opened up to Alfred about – why Rachel and I did not get along. He was concerned my staying at the manor would serve only to worsen the situation.

Before Rachel left, she appeared before me, her face close to mine. "Why are you here?" she asked. Her voice wasn't aggressive, and neither was her demeanor, but I couldn't resist.

"Research," I breathed. "_In depth _research."

I didn't really expect the slap, but damn, it stung.

"Fuck!" I held my cheek as Alfred ushered me into the kitchen and sat me down. "God damn it, that hurt!" I vigorously rubbed at the red flesh.

Bruce entered the kitchen a moment later with a look on his face that I knew was saying 'What the hell was that all about?'. I wanted to explain, but before I had the chance to, he placed the box from Rachel on the table and disappeared down a hallway. I looked at Alfred, but he was already gone too.

-

Almost half and hour later and Bruce still wasn't back, so I figured he had donned his cowl and disappeared out into the night. I climbed the stairs back to my room and pulled out my dress for the party. With a sigh, I undressed and pulled the crimson dress over my body. I fussed for a few moments about how it was sitting on my frame and then flopped down to stare at myself in the mirror. I threw my hair up in a sort of messy bun at the back of my head and applied my makeup. I wasn't going for anything stunning, but I was always pleased with the way I looked when I was made up.

I pulled on my black sandals before venturing back downstairs to try and find Alfred.

"Ms. Black, you look wonderful."

I turned and smiled at the butler. We were standing just down the hall from the ground floor study. Alfred was already in his tuxedo as well, but a distinctly not-excited-about-the-party look was on his face.

"What's the matter?" I asked.

"Master Bruce has gallivanted off and his guests will be arriving at any minute."

I frowned. "Well, I'm going to go in there, and I'll make up some sort of excuse or something if anyone asks."

Alfred nodded, and then sat down in a nearby chair to wait. I smiled reassuringly at him before slipping into the ball room and making my way over to the buffet table. I grabbed a glass of wine off a tray a waiter was holding, and appeared beside Lucius Fox, who was digging in to everything on the table.

"Be careful, Lucius," I said. "You don't want to choke. I expect Bruce is going to need more of that… stuff."

He looked up, a little startled. "Ah! Eleanor! You don't have to worry. I've already given everything I had to Alfred, and I imagine he'll get it to Bruce." Lucius took in my appearance and smiled. "You look radiant, Eleanor."

"Thank you."

I downed the rest of my wine and then grabbed another glass, keeping my eyes on the door, waiting for Bruce to return; I realized I'd be doing this every time he melted into the night. I didn't hear Lucius' cautionary words as I grabbed yet another glass of wine.

* * *

**Author's Note: **So I don't really like this chapter, but meh. It's done. The next one will be better, promise. I did manage to get a bit more of some stuff I wanted in this chapter, but it didn't turn out the way I wanted it to. I might re-write some stuff. I watched the movie two nights ago and realized some stuff was out of order, but oh well. The fic continues beyond the movie a bit, so it's OK. Things will get better.


	7. Chapter Six: Fire

**Disclaimer  
**I do not own Batman Begins. The marvelous people at DC Comics and the movie people do. I own Eleanor Black, her background and everyone associated with her who's not from the movie. I also own the parts of the plot that were added or changed. Nothing serious was done though, don't worry. The fic is rated for language, violence, sexual situations, drinking, blood, and a serious cat fight.

-

-

**Superhero's Confidante  
**Chapter Six: _Fire_

I was very obviously drunk when Bruce returned.

I managed to notice he was looking wound up about something though, and as he came over to where Lucius and I were standing, I smiled at him. It was probably a frightening gesture; I don't remember everything exactly. I do remember Bruce returning the gesture and then speaking to Lucius. I didn't hear what they were saying, however, as my face was buried in another glass of wine, and there was a constant buzzing in my ears.

"I think you've had quite enough to drink, Eleanor," Bruce said suddenly, pulling the glass away from me without spilling any of the deep purple liquid. Feebly, I flailed for the glass as he said: "And I think you should head upstairs and lay down."

There was a tone of urgency in his voice which forced me to obey. I nodded - or, I think I nodded - and then turned to the grand staircase and slowly navigated my way to the top. Of course, the top turned out to be only about halfway, because I didn't feel I could go any farther. I sat on the wide step and pressed my face into the cold wooden railing. Below me, a loud hum bloomed. People were talking and loudly.

"Shut up..." I mumbled to myself, pressing my hands over my ears.

"Eleanor."

I turned my face upwards to smile sloppily at Alfred and fell against his legs. The older butler helped me to my feet and down to the ballroom once more. Confused, I tried to tell him Bruce had told me to go upstairs, but my words came out only as a mush of syllables. We moved through the crowds, which seemed to be angry at Bruce, who was standing in their midst, and into the study. Alfred pressed the clean keys on the piano and a section of the bookshelf moved back to reveal a door. So that's why the keys weren't dusty...

"I've been asked to give you this-" He paused only long enough to inject me with something that stung my arm- "And to take you home, Eleanor. Along with Ms. Dawes, who has been sedated and is waiting in the cave."

"Cave?"

But Alfred didn't have to answer my question, because the next minute, a blast of chill hair hit me and we were on an elevator, speeding down into a pit; the air grew colder and colder as we went lower. The cave opened up suddenly, and the air was filled with the roar of water. It hurt my head something fierce, and I leaned into Alfred to try and rid myself of the noise.

"It's all right, Eleanor."

"I shouldn't have had all that wine," I said. "It gives my headaches."

Alfred sat me down on a metal chair. "You're going to have to walk by yourself, as I have to carry Ms. Dawes. Will you be all right?"

"As long as I go slow, I should be..." I hiccupped. "Fine."

So, crawling at the speed of snails, Alfred, burdened with Rachel in his arms, led the way back upstairs and down a different hallway to the driveway outside the kitchen. I tumbled into the front seat and closed my eyes as I listened to Alfred maneuver Rachel into the backseat. I had a random urge to smother her with my dress but I contented myself with imagining the scenario. I came to the conclusion that Bruce would kill me though, and I didn't want that.

-

"Eleanor! Oh my God, are you all right?"

Naomi's arms pushed the air from my lungs, and for the second time that night, I felt confused. "What are you talking about? And I can get some coffee in me please?"

Liam brought me a mug of steaming coffee as Naomi pulled me onto the couch and continued to hug me tightly. "Wayne Manor burned to the ground, Eleanor. We were worried you were caught and injured... Or killed." He smiled and placed an affectionate hand on my shoulder. "We're just really happy to see you're all right."

I froze. "What? Burned down?" My first thought was Bruce. I jumped to my feet, but my head protested and I sat back down. "It's... gone?"

"They haven't reported any bodies, honey," Naomi cooed.

"That doesn't me he's alive!" Again, I tried to get to my feet, but this time, Liam held me in place. "Let me go! I have to see if he's OK!" My head throbbed and my stomach turned. I could almost feel my face turning green. I doubled over and vomited suddenly. "Ugh... Somebody find out if he's OK..." I flopped back into the corner of the couch, and Naomi through a blanket over me.

"I'll find out, Eleanor." Liam immediately left the room, intent on fulfilling my wishes.

"Just rest, honey. You father will find out and let you know what you wake up. You really _should _try and sleep, you know."

I could hear the disapproval at my getting drunk, but she was smiling none the less. She was probably thinking about Bruce and me ending up together, happily forever and ever. My subconscious rolled its eyes. I closed my real eyes though, just to oblige Naomi, but found myself pulled into the Sandman's grip. My coffee sat on the table, long forgotten and getting cold.

-

_Flames leapt up, licking at the ancient wood of the building and trying to seduce it to fall. Pops and cracks could be heard as elsewhere, the wood submitted, and bangs could be heard as it fell to the ground, destroying whatever was in its path. The source of this fire was unknown. No one had seen who had started it, and since Bruce had been so angry before, it was almost if it had sparked from his rage and apparent drunkenness; Bruce would never actually get drunk. _

_But now, pinned underneath a fallen beam and flirting with unconsciousness, Bruce couldn't do much of anything. _

_Eleanor was running towards him, but he wasn't getting any closer. Her hands were outstretched and she was screaming something, but Bruce just kept slipping away. Finally giving up, she turned away and found Rachel smirking at her, a look of victory in her brown eyes. _

_"I win..." she said, voice barely above a whisper._

_Rage boiling over, Eleanor leapt at Rachel, her hands wrapping around the smaller woman's neck. Behind, Bruce had risen from the flames and was walking towards them, begging them to stop fighting, but years of pent up hatred had escaped from Eleanor and there was no ebbing the flow. As the life left Rachel's eyes, Bruce turned and walked away from Eleanor. Terrified that he was going to leave her forever, Eleanor sprang to her feet and began to chase after him, leaving the lifeless body of Rachel to burn in the flames which would touch the people alive. _

_"Bruce! Wait!"_

_"No Eleanor. Go."_

_Eleanor fell to her knees and finally the flames engulfed her, but Bruce escaped unscathed, and melted into the night, sprouting wings from his broad shoulders and flew into the night. _

_"No..."_

_-_

I awoke with a start and fell off the couch. There was a faint light from the moon peeking through the curtains, but the house was silent. Either Liam or Naomi were asleep, or they were in another part of the massive house and couldn't be heard. In any case, this was my chance to get out and find if Bruce was alive and well or not.

Asquickly as I could, I ran upstairs to my room and changed into comfortable jeans and a baggy t-shirt, and then returned to the ground floor where I pulled on Naomi's sneakers and bolted into the night; I was glad my mother and I had the same sized feet, because I would have hated running in the heels I'd been wearing at the ball. I found my way to the far garage and ducked into the enclosure, feeling around for the rack of keys. When I found them I grabbed the first set I could and put them close to my eyes.

The Mustang.

Sweet.

I hopped into the black car, which was where it always was, pressed the garage door opener and peeled out as fast as I could, not even caring about the noise I was making. I shut the garage door and drove towards where Wayne Manor used to be.

I got out of the car and felt intense heat radiating from what must have been red coals.

And found piles of smoking rubble.

* * *

**Author's Note  
**Oooh, so Chapter Six is done and I like it a lot better than Chapter Five. I'm kicking myself over that one, but I will NOT rewrite it. I repeat: WILL NOT. I have to ingrain that into my brain so I'll actually finish the fic before I rewrite anything. Guh. So, anyway, if I didn't say this last time: the fic continues beyond the movie, into the space between the two movies. So I have a little more freedom to develop things. I really should have started earlier in the movie than I did, but that's all right. You'll all forgive me right? Please? Now I'm begging. Haha. All right, well, anyways, Chapter Seven should be interesting. Oh, and please excuse the random dream with the POV change. I was just experimenting. Lemme know what you all think, OK? Thanks all of you for the support! It really means a lot to me!


	8. Chapter Seven: Time to Worry

**Disclaimer  
**I do not own Batman Begins. The marvelous people at DC Comics and the movie people do. I own Eleanor Black, her background and everyone associated with her who's not from the movie. I also own the parts of the plot that were added or changed. Nothing serious was done though, don't worry. The fic is rated for language, violence, sexual situations, drinking, blood, and a serious cat fight.

-

-

**Superhero's Confidante  
**Chapter Seven: _Time to Worry _

I wandered through the rubble for about ten minutes, absentmindedly looking for any signs of life or a body. Gratefully, I found none, but was set to wondering what had happened. Had Bruce taken off as Batman again? Probably. Was Alfred with him? Probably not, but I had a sneaking suspicion that he was alive. I didn't think anyone had died in the fire, but being around the rubble made me feel uneasy.

As I was heading back to my car, I noticed sirens flashing red and blue in the distance. They were heading in the general direction of the Narrows. Curious, I started jogging towards my car. What was I doing? Running towards the sirens? What was happening to me?

Where I found Alfred waiting for me.

"Miss Black, could I ask you to come to the master's… domain with me? You won't be able to get where he is at the moment, but I can show you."

I agreed, somewhat reluctantly just because of all the secrecy, and Alfred and I climbed into the car. He directed me around the back of the grounds to an old carriage path, by the looks of it, and from there, we headed towards a shallow opening in the ground. A grate sat over the mouth of the cave, but Alfred pressed a button on something he held in his hand and the grate rose, allowing us entrance to the cave. Once we were in, the grate one again dropped and there was a definite _click _of it locking into place. The path became a rough road, and that led into an opening in the cave. It was lit by lights scattered around and the dim glow from a couple computer screens.

This was obviously where Batman conducted all of his non-crime fighting business.

Floored, I stepped from the car and followed Alfred up to one of the monitors. There was a red dot, located outside the Narrows.

"The master's car."

I gave Alfred a strange look. "The Batmobile?" Now Alfred gave me a strange look, and we laughed. "So, what's he doing over by the Narrows?"

"I believe an old acquaintance of the young master's has resurfaced with some evil intentions. He's stolen a machine from Wayne Enterprises that vaporizes water sources, and someone who was working for him has dissolved a hallucinogenic drug into the water mains under the city."

"So whoever's got that machine is going to dissolve the water in the system and send the Narrows into a frenzy of hallucinations…" I squinted at the dot on the screen, willing it to go faster, willing him to get to the Narrows and stop whoever it was with the whatever machine. "Come on Bruce…" I whispered to myself. Unsurprisingly, Alfred placed his hand on my shoulder and squeezed, silently adding his wishes to mine.

I stood in front of that computer screen until the dot stopped moving, and then Alfred switched to another screen with another red dot. He informed me the new dot was actually Bruce, and I watched with more interest than before. I wanted more information then the dot could give me, like, if he was injured, alive, dead, whatever, but I knew I'd have to wait patiently. Alfred, at some point, flicked on a news station, and then left me alone in the chilly cave. I, of course, didn't care, because I was too busy watching the screens like a vulture, waiting for some sign, the smallest sign, of Batman, of Bruce, of…

The man I loved.

I had fallen for him fast, and it may not have been real love, like forever love, but right then, it was love, and it was right. I was sure of it.

"Miss Black?" Alfred reappeared, holding a silver tray filled with cheese, crackers, pieces of sliced meat, sandwiches cut into triangles, cookies and a dish of colourful candies. Two glasses of milk waved slightly behind the food. "I've brought us something to nibble on while we observe."

"Thank you Alfred," I smiled at him and took one of the sandwiches. "Do you know how he's doing?" I asked, literally nibbling at one of the corners.

I watched Alfred glance at a smaller monitor off to the side of the table, and then shake his head. "So far, he's doing all right… If there are any major changes to his status, the monitors in the suit will pick them up. Don't worry Miss Black." He smiled his reassuring and fatherly smile at me. "We'll know as soon as something serious is wrong, don't worry. Anything else, we can attend to when he returns."

I nodded and turned back to the television displaying the news feed. After a while, when I had eaten my fill of finger foods, I got up and started wandering around the cave. I was wrapped in a blanket Alfred had given me to ward off the chill, and the running shoes were protecting my feet from the jagged rocks beneath them. I found the computer area wasn't the only one Bruce and Alfred had inhabited. A few feet away, in a natural alcove, there was a metal working shop set up, and I realized that was where Bruce made his bat-shaped shuriken. In other alcoves, I found a storage area, medical supplies and equipment, and a wide array of tools, some of which I'd never seen before or had any idea of what they did. Some of them looked pretty sinister.

I explored the uninhabited areas of the cave as well, enjoying the soft sounds of bat wings fluttering around the sharp rocks and the shrill sounds of their echolocation waves pinging around the cave. Eventually, I returned to Alfred. My mind was so scattered with thoughts of Bruce and all I wanted to tell him.

"Alfred, you know I have feelings for Bruce, but… should I tell _him _that I do?" I asked.

The butler seemed caught off guard by my question. "Well… Miss Black, I…"

"Please, call me Eleanor, Alfred. That 'Miss Black' makes me uncomfortable."

"Sorry Eleanor," he said with a smile. "Eleanor, I don't know what you _should_ do, but I can tell you that I think you may want to tell him soon. He does have a right to know."

"Of course he has a right to know, Alfred, I was just wondering if I should tell him now, I mean… before he, you know, like dies." I shifted in the chair I had taken up residence in and stared, once again, at the television – still nothing.

"Master Bruce is not going to die, Miss Black."

"I think I'm going to go upstairs and lay down. Let me know if anything happens…"

I watched Alfred nod before I rose to my feet and walked over to where the butler had set up a few large cots and buried my face in the soft pillows. All I could think about was Bruce Wayne, and that alarmed me, because they weren't the casual thoughts of an admirer like they had been before. No, now the thoughts were disturbingly about him tumbling hundreds of feet from a building or getting run over by the monorail train.

I was in love with Bruce and I wanted him to come home safe.

* * *

**Author's Note... **So, I realized today, while I was typing Chapter 8 in Earth Sci instead of the notes I should have been typing, that I made a big mistake in this chapter. Bruce's mansion burned down and, at the end of the chapter, I had Eleanor walking upstairs into the magically rebuilt mansion. Well, oopsie on my part. So, also in Earth Sci, I re-wrote the end of this chapter so it makes sense now, even though it's not as good as the other ending. And currently I'm re-writing what I had done of Chapter 8 so it makes sense. It's definately not as dramatic now, but oh well. I'll put the bed-drama in my other fic somewhere, because it was just too good to get rid of completely.


	9. Chapter Eight: To Know Bittersweet

**Disclaimer  
**I do not own Batman Begins. The marvelous people at DC Comics and the movie people do. I own Eleanor Black, her background and everyone associated with her who's not from the movie. I also own the parts of the plot that were added or changed. Nothing serious was done though, don't worry. The fic is rated for language, violence, sexual situations, drinking, blood, and a serious cat fight.

-

-

**Superhero's Confidante  
**Chapter Eight: _To Know Bittersweet_

I had fallen asleep by the time Bruce returned; fallen asleep across two cots that had been pushed close together, one of which had obviously been meant for him. It was when he fell into the bed my feet were on that I woke up. I remained buried in the pillows and blankets for a second, before I swung them around and lay on my right side, on one bed, so I could look at him. My heart was pounding uncontrollably in my chest as I stared. After a moment, I shifted closer to the edge of by bed, and to him, and realized his chest and arms were bandaged in places and scratches and bruises were terribly visible.

"Bruce?" I whispered.

He was lying on his stomach, with his head turned towards me, so he opened his right eye and stared blankly for a moment. "Evening, Eleanor," he mumbled, rolling onto his right side so he could more adequately look at me. "Or should I say morning?"

"Are… you OK?" I asked, swallowing my stomach, which had jumped into my throat from nerves. I had never been _this _nervous looking at him before. "It looks like you took quite the beating."

"I'm fine. I stopped the bad guy, and I'm going to live. I'm excellent."

"Oh, OK." I made myself smile as warmly as possible.

"Eleanor?"

"Yeah?"

"Are you OK? You look like you've been crying."

I lifted my fingers to my cheek, and sure enough, they came away wet with tears I didn't know I'd shed. "Yeah… I'm OK… I was just," I stopped, knowing that the words about to come out my mouth would have let Bruce know how I felt about him. _Just tell him, Eleanor, you stupid girl. _"I was worried about you Bruce, and I kept having the images of you dying…" I hid my face, embarrassed by this confession.

He placed his hand on my shoulder and I knew he was smiling. "Well I'm alive, so it's all right."

I nodded, face still in the pillow. A few moments later, after his breathing was slow and even and I was sure he was asleep, I slid from the cot and made my way back to the area with the computers where I plunked by butt down on the chilly metal covering the cave floor. I pulled the blanket I had brought with me from the bed tighter around me as I began to cry again, and I wiped furiously at my eyes.

_Stupid girl, stop getting so worked up about this. He's alive. You can tell him how you feel. Everything will be OK, won't it?_

I sighed, trying to bring myself under control.

_I sure as hell hope so. _

-

I was awake before either Bruce or Alfred the next morning. The cave was cold, even with the space heaters running at full blast, but both of the men were sleeping soundly. Not wanting to disturb them, or touch anything I wasn't supposed to, I silently sat up, put my shoes on, pulled the blanket around my shoulders tightly and ventured outside the cave the way Alfred had showed me. It was probably around six o'clock; I had had trouble getting to sleep after Bruce came home and had only managed a few hours. The sun, hazy behind low clouds, was casting a cold light on everything. Dew shimmered star-like, bringing a smile to my face.

"It's a gorgeous this early in the morning, isn't it?"

I spun around and flicked a smile at Bruce before trying to tame my bed head and dropping the blanket in the process. "M-morning," I stammered with a tone of frustration flitting around the edges of my voice.

He picked up the blanket and wrapped it around my shoulders again. "Can I ask why you stayed all night, Eleanor? You could have left when I came home, or when you realized I was OK. You didn't have to stay all night in the cold you know."

"I know… But… I couldn't leave Bruce. I just couldn't."

"That doesn't really answer my question."

I sighed. It seemed rather like he knew what was going on inside my head, that he knew what I felt and was trying to coax it out of me. Of course, it all could have been in my head, and the questions he asked would have seemed normal under any other circumstance. In any case, it felt as if he was prying my feelings out of me.

"I know," I said, gathering my wits temporarily and flashing him a smirk. "I wasn't really planning on answering your question. You can _guess_ why I couldn't leave, Bruce." I scrunched up my face definitely.

"I think you want to tell me," was his charmingly devious reply. Bruce stepped closer to me and looked down, fixing his hazel eyes and his crooked smile on me.

I faltered. _Oh, God damn it. Bruce, I hate you. _"Uh… Bruce… No. I do… n't want to tell you." I pushed away from him, my hands lingering on his chest a moment longer than they should have; Bruce's hands wrapped around my wrists and he pulled me back, holding me close to him. Things were suddenly serious. No more playing around. "Bruce…" I looked, or tried to look, at the ground.

"Ellie."

The nickname pulled my attention right back. He had never called me that. Ever. Only my parents had called me that… It was an intimate nickname… I shook my head. "Bruce, I…" I swallowed, terrified at what I was about to say. "I…" _No. You're not going to play the nervous girl, Eleanor. Not now. You're going to tell him. _"Bruce," I looked at him squarely, trying to convey as much as I could in my eyes. "Bruce, I love you."

He looked down at me, something shimmering in his green eyes. Was it regret? "Ellie…" He seemed genuinely taken aback by my confession – weather the abruptness or the actual feelings, I couldn't be sure. "I'm… I'm not someone you want to get involved with, Ellie. You know what, who, I am."

"Yes, I do. But I don't care. And I'm not leaving. Even if you don't want me, you need _someone _other than Alfred to talk to, to trust, and to confide in. He's not going to be around forever, and you need another friend. _Everyone _needs a friend, even _Batman_."

For a moment, the regret in his eyes flared into something more intense, and then he pinched the bridge of his nose between his forefinger and thumb and hung his head, sighing heavily. "Eleanor… Ellie," he looked up at me, the regret back in full force, accompanied by pain and a… fear of the unknown or something equally mysterious. "I can't do this right now. I have to get the company back under control, rebuild the mansion, and repair Bruce Wayne's tarnished reputation. I _can't_ do this right now."

"I'm not leaving."

"Eleanor."

"I'm not."

"I know. But, there's something I should tell you if you're going to be around for a while." Once again, he and I were standing close. "Rachel knows, Eleanor. I know you're not fond of her," he added quickly, knowing me feelings towards her. "But… she's special to me and I need her around right now, OK?"

I nodded, and turned away. "I'm going to head back to my loft… grab some things, since everything I had here burned. Then I'm going to check on my dogs and let my parents know what's happening." I slowly began to head towards the cave where my car was still parked. "See you later."

"Ellie…"

I ignored him. All my nervousness and elation had disappeared with his mentioning of Rachel, with his dismissal of the importance of what I was telling him. I wanted him to love me back, but I guess I knew that wasn't going to happen. He had Rachel. They had history. How could I compete? He had come back alive, but I couldn't have him.

I slid into the driver's seat of my car, and realized I was still wrapped in the blanket and didn't have my keys. Suddenly overcome with emotion, I flung myself forward, draping my arms over the steering wheel and started to cry.

"Your keys, Miss Black?"

"Thanks Alfred." I took my keys and jammed them in the ignition. Alfred opened the grate for me and I drove off, the blanket tucked beneath me and buckled around me.

* * *

**Author's Note... **Haha, it's cheesy.


	10. Chapter Nine: Catfight

**Disclaimer  
**I do not own Batman Begins. The marvelous people at DC Comics and the movie people do. I own Eleanor Black, her background and everyone associated with her who's not from the movie. I also own the parts of the plot that were added or changed. Nothing serious was done though, don't worry. The fic is rated for language, violence, sexual situations, drinking, blood, and a serious cat fight.

-

-

**Superhero's Confidante  
**Chapter Nine: _Catfight_

I spent the rest of that day and night at my loft, alone, wandering around the space which had once been comfortable seemed vast and cold, and I didn't want to be there. But I didn't want to be with Bruce. Well, that was a lie, I did want to be with him, but I couldn't be around him, not until I'd gathered myself together and made ready to be around Bruce while he was with Rachel. I had to steel myself for that, because every time I saw her, I would want to wrap my hands around her neck and watch the life fly from her eyes.

I hated her so much, and I didn't want her around Bruce, around the man I loved. I didn't want her to know his secret. I wanted her to go away and never come back.

But that wasn't going to happen. So I was going to have to deal.

"Fuck," I breathed, pushing myself off the couch I'd fallen on. I looked at the clock. It was seven in the morning. I hadn't slept all night. _I must look horrible_. "I should get to my parent's house and then back to the mansion, I guess," I told myself, walking into my bedroom. I had packed my things the night before, planning on leaving when I woke up, but I hadn't slept, so I was just going to leave. I looked at the fruit on the kitchen counter before I left, and retched. I hadn't eaten anything either.

On the way out of my building, I grabbed the mail that had collected, and then shoved my stuff and myself back into the Mustang. I drove to my parent's mansion in silence, staring blankly at the road ahead, wondering at the metaphoric value in my own life. What was going to happen in the future? Would Bruce choose Rachel? I sure as hell hoped not. Would he always be Batman? That, I hoped. I hoped he would carry on until he couldn't anymore, because Gotham needed him, needed a hero. If Rachel tried to pull that out of him, I wouldn't stand by any longer. I would act. And do something. What would I do? I didn't know yet, but I would do something. I understood that Bruce was fulfilling something in being Batman and that he needed to fulfill that, whatever it was. I wasn't going to stop him. I'd worry about him every time he went out as the Dark Knight, but I wouldn't stop him.

I had a sneaking feeling Rachel would try and stop him.

"I need to stop thinking about Rachel," I mumbled through grinding teeth. All I could do was take several deep breaths and force myself to think about something else.

-

"Eleanor! What's wrong? You look like you haven't slept in a while. Are you all right? You're not sick, are you?"

I rolled my eyes as Naomi stubbornly checked me over. "I'm fine, Mom. I just came by to check on Blaze and Chill, and to tell you that I'm going to be living with Bruce for a period of time that's currently unknown." When Naomi opened her mouth to say something, I shut her off. "I can't take the dogs with me and I don't know when he's rebuilding the mansion or anything." I looked her in the eye. "I don't have any details, so stop asking."

Naomi backed away. "What's wrong Eleanor? You're so angry."

Trying to hide my flinch, I turned away from her, hiding my face. "Nothing is the matter. I'm just going to go out back and check on my dogs. Then I'll be on my way."

Naomi grabbed my arm, pulling me back. "Stay for lunch, Eleanor. Please?"

I nodded after a moment of reluctant thought and then went out into the expansive back yard. Blaze and Chill came running immediately and I spent a great length of time, playing happily, my thoughts completely taken away from Bruce and Rachel and anything having to do with that section of my life. For however long I was out there, I felt like a little kid again, playing with the family dogs, but I knew that I would have to return to reality eventually.

-

"_What_ is she doing here?"

I turned from the pile of stone Alfred and I were sifting through and grimaced. Bruce had returned with Rachel. Without saying anything, I turned back around and started trying to move a heavy rock.

"Eleanor's here because she wants to be, Rachel. She's helping Alfred and I go through what's left," Bruce said. "You said you wanted to talk?"

But I could hear Rachel moving towards me. _Oh great. _

"Why are you here, Eleanor?"

I stood up. Made a show of slowly dusting my hands off on my legs. "Like Bruce said, I am here because I want to be. I'm helping a friend who's had a crisis. I'm also helping rebuild my new home," I jibed. "I'm going to be living in Wayne Manor from now on."

"For how long?" Her voice was climbing in pitch.

I shrugged lazily. "As long as I want, I guess. Or," I gazed pointedly at Bruce, who rolled his eyes; he knew what I was about to say. "For as long as Bruce wants me around. I'm a very helpful person, Rachel. Bruce likes having me around."

"Rachel, you said you had something important to talk about?"

She ignored Bruce. I looked at him and shrugged with an apologetic smile. Rachel glared at me, and I stepped closer to her, fixing her with my own brand of glare. "I'm _not _leaving, Rachel, so you can forget trying to stare me down." My voice dropped to a hiss. "So stop it. You're not going to get me to leave. I like it here. I'm going to stay and help Bruce. _And_ Batman."

Pleasingly, I saw her eyes widen in shock. She must have thought she was the only one to know his secret. "How do you know about that?" Her voice was also a hiss now.

"Because I do," I said smugly.

She hit my shoulder with her knuckles, landing her blow between my shoulder and upper arm, where the nerves resided.

"Shit! That hurt!" I slapped her across the face and then pushed her backwards. "Bitch!"

What happened next happened so quickly, I wasn't sure how it happened. Rachel slapped me hard on the jaw, and I punched her in the stomach and as she doubled over, I brought my knee into her chest, trying to knock the wind from her lungs. It didn't work as well as I had hoped. Summoning strength I couldn't have guessed she had, she shook off whatever effects she had from my assault, and ran forward into me, driving her shoulder into my stomach and pushing me backwards. I tried to regain my balance, but tripped on a chunk of rubble and fell backwards, cracking my head off more debris.

Alfred rushed over and helped me into a sitting position, resting against his chest. I felt his hand on the back of my head, checking for a cut or blood or something, but I was so dazed that I really didn't know what was going on. Things seemed to be spinning and my vision seemed to be flicking on and off.

"Rachel," I could hear Bruce saying, his voice riddled with anger.

I couldn't hear what else was being said, and my head was starting to feel heavy, so I leaned backwards into Alfred more, and closed my eyes.

"That was a foolish thing to start, Miss Black," he said quietly. "Miss Dawes, like you, doesn't back away. You knew something like that was going to happen." I opened my mouth to say something, but Alfred hushed me. "I think you're going to have to put your feelings towards Miss Dawes aside. She might be coming around a lot more now."

"I know Alfred…" I tried to open my eyes and found my vision very blurry. I blinked rapidly for a few seconds until it cleared. "How's my head?"

"You've got a couple lacerations, and it's pretty badly bruised. We'll clean you up and then you should rest a bit."

I nodded as Alfred helped me to my feet. Rachel and Bruce had ventured farther away from Alfred and I, and I didn't hesitate to shoot a glare they didn't see. Alfred led me down to the cave where I lay on my stomach with the back of my head exposed. In order to get to the cuts easier, Alfred had to shave a section of my hair off before washing and bandaging the wound. He gave me some aspirin and helped me back outside where I sat on shady patch of grass beneath an old tree.

I watched Bruce and Rachel wander through the rubble. I forced myself to watch when their faces drew together in a kiss. But I smiled when they pulled apart and neither looked terribly happy.

I was such a bitch.

* * *

**Author's Note... **By the way, if I didn't mention before, I'm aiming to finish this fic as soon as possible. I'm going to do that with all of my fics. Focus on one, finish it. I think that's the best course of action. Now, onto the actual chapter. This is more just a time-passage chapter, but I actually kinda like it. Yeah, Eleanor's a bitch and she started the whole fight, but that's what she does. She deserved what she got. I'm so mean. XP But yeah, now we're moving into new territory, like beyond the movie. The fic's almost done, I think, but we'll see. Unfortunately, there's no reconciliation between Rachel and Eleanor. Not in this fic anyway. In my other Batman fic, there is. Anyways, enjoy.


	11. Chapter Ten: What's Not Said

**Disclaimer  
**I do not own Batman Begins. The marvelous people at DC Comics and the movie people do. I own Eleanor Black, her background and everyone associated with her who's not from the movie. I also own the parts of the plot that were added or changed. Nothing serious was done though, don't worry. The fic is rated for language, violence, sexual situations, drinking, blood, and a serious cat fight.

-

-

**Superhero's Confidante  
**Chapter Ten: _What's Not Said_

"What was that about, Eleanor?"

I walked, or rather, stormed, ahead of Bruce and sat on the metal table I had lain on when Alfred bandaged my head. Bruce was angry with me, understandably so, but I wasn't going to give in, back down or anything of the sort. I didn't regret anything I had done, and I wouldn't, no matter what he said to me. To prove that point through body language, I folded my arms across my chest and stared angrily at him. "I'm sorry Bruce," I said finally. I was apologizing to him for disappointing him, not for hitting Rachel. He knew that. "I don't like her and she hit me first. She started it."

Some of the tension dropped out of his face, and a smile twitched at the corners of his lips. "Now you sound like a little kid."

I sighed, my shoulders visibly falling with the gesture and my arms unfolding. I placed my hands on the table behind me and leaned on them. I smiled a bit back at him. "I apologize, Bruce. It won't happen again," I said with more than a hint of faking-it in my voice. He caught it, as I knew he would, but he said no more about it. I sighed again, but the next words out of my mouth were genuine, and he caught that too. "I know she'll be around more, and that I should make more of an effort, I guess, seeing as I'm going to be living with you for an unknown period of time."

Now it was Bruce's turn to sigh. "I don't think she'll be around as much as you're dreading Eleanor." He leaned on the table beside where I was sitting and looked at his feet. "She's uncomfortable with the 'masks' I wear." When he looked up at me, there was a sadness in his eyes that made me want to give him a hug more than I normally did.

"Batman?"

"Yeah, and the 'new' Bruce Wayne, the public one." He sighed again. "It seems like, to her, I'm three people, and she only wants one: the Bruce Wayne she knew when we were younger, and I don't know if he exists anymore." He pushed himself off of the table and walked in an arc around the cave so that he end up facing me. There was three or so feet between us. "I care about her, Ellie."

"I know, but I don't think you should change for her. People grow. People… change."

The cave became silent as Bruce and I looked at each other from across the space between us. A tension arose, and I had to look away from him as I felt blood rush to my cheeks. I was blushing, and I could not look at him anymore, because I knew he would know what I was thinking about, and I wasn't thinking anything that anyone would really want to share with someone who isn't their significant other. Bruce started to walk towards me, and for a moment, I thought he was going to reach out and touch me, but it was probably just an optical illusion; I could only see him out of the corner of my eye.

"Ellie…"

His voice was quiet, and it startled me into looking up at him. "What?" I felt my cheeks flush more, and I wanted to look away, but something in his eyes kept my attention away from the brushed steel table.

Bruce reached his hand outward and cupped my cheek. His hand was warm and I leaned into it, savouring the contact as his fingers traced my ear and brushed the sensitive spot behind it, catching stray strands of my hair and sending a shiver down my spine. His hand slipped behind my neck and he pulled me forward into an embrace. I felt him run his other hand down my hair and back, and I could have stayed in his arms forever, but the moment ended, and Bruce held me at arm's length, smiling appreciatively.

I knew he wouldn't show that degree of emotion with just anyone.

"Eleanor, don't go anywhere."

I smiled and slid off the table and leaned against him, resting my head below his chin. "I'm not going anywhere, Bruce, I already told you that."

"Oh, am I interrupting something?"

Bruce and I moved apart and looked at Alfred, who had walked in the cave, and was smiling. I stepped closer to Bruce after a second and laughed.

-

"Hey Bruce, I was thinking that, since your mansion is kinda in ruins, you and Alfred should come and stay at my parent's house… It's big enough and you could pass it off as friendly hospitality while you rebuild the mansion…"

I scrunched up my eyes and groaned, once again thinking the proposition sounded weird. I wasn't really sure how to go about asking Bruce to move in to my parent's house while his house was being resurrected _without _it sounding weird. I thought it was a good idea, because, who would suspect anything about Bruce's secret if friends were housing him while his house was being rebuilt? And, he could say that he kept returning to the mansion to check on construction if someone ever saw him going there… It all worked in my head, but I couldn't think of a way to convey that to Bruce without it sounding awkward.

_Let's try this again… Keeping casual, of course. I don't want to sound like __**I**__ really want him at my parent's house, close to me and not Rachel… STOP IT! _I gave myself a mental slap and spun around in the cave. I started pacing again, debating how to start the question. "Since you have no home and it can't be healthy to live in a cave, especially for Alfred, I was thinking it'd be a good idea to live at my parent's house. It _is _big enough, and since they were friends of your parents, no one would really think it was that odd that you were staying there. I mean, the only reason the press could make up for you staying there is that you and I were secretly dating, but th-"

"Good idea."

I spun around, very startled at the voice, which, I found out when I was facing him, belonged to Bruce. "Oh, uh, hi." I was suddenly blushing scarlet again, but I didn't look away. "I thought it would be a good idea, yeah…"

"I'll tell Alfred and see what he thinks. I'm sure he'll be glad not to have to live in the cave any longer. He doesn't do well with the cold."

I nodded. "I can imagine. I can hardly handle it, and I _like _sleeping in the cold."

"Have you asked Liam and Naomi if it's OK yet?"

"No. I was going to head over there now actually. I'll come back and get you in, like, half an hour I guess?"

Bruce nodded, smiling and making me blush more. That made him smile more. After an awkward moment, I made to head for the door, but Bruce grabbed my arm, pulling me back. I didn't resist or anything, but the pressure his hand was putting on my upper arm was starting to hurt, like he was keeping me standing there.

"Thank you," he said, and he let go of my arm a minute later.

I was back at the cave in less than half an hour, but when I stepped out of the car, I could only see Alfred, sitting beneath a tree with a couple duffel bags full of, what I guessed, were spare clothes and necessities he had stashed in the cave for just such an occasion. Silently, I walked to where the old man was watching the sun set behind spreading grey clouds.

"Master Bruce is in the cave, Miss Black."

I nodded and started in that direction. As the evening had progressed the air had become much cooler, and I was wearing a tight, long sleeved shirt and my hair was down to keep my neck warm; the flip flops on my feet were contradictory to the jeans and long sleeves, but I hated running shoes.

"Bruce?" I called, stepping into the dim cave. I shivered as the dampness began to sink into my bones. "Bruce?"

Still not getting an answer, I wandered farther into the darkness, wrapping my arms around myself and pulling the ends of my sleeves over my hands. I found Bruce only a moment later, leaning on one of the natural cave walls, looking towards the roaring waterfall. I followed his gaze as I moved to stand beside him and smiled at the shadows I saw darting back and forth. The bats were active, diving for the bugs hovering around the pools of water just inside the cave mouth. The chirps of echolocation sounded pleasantly shrill in the open expanse of the cave, but as the dampness pressed further into my body, I couldn't enjoy the sounds. I began to shiver more. When my teeth began to chatter, Bruce turned and looked at me, noticing me for the first time. He had been thinking and I hadn't bothered him. Therefore, he'd not even realized my appearance.

Without saying anything, he draped the coat that had been hanging over his arms over my shoulders and wrapped his arm around my shoulders as we silently took our exit from the cave.

* * *

**Author's Note... **Guh. I like parts of this chapter. Like the... SEXUAL TENSION! (insert maniacal laughter here)


	12. Chapter Eleven: Note

**Disclaimer  
**I do not own Batman Begins. The marvelous people at DC Comics and the movie people do. I own Eleanor Black, her background and everyone associated with her who's not from the movie. I also own the parts of the plot that were added or changed. Nothing serious was done though, don't worry. The fic is rated for language, violence, sexual situations, drinking, blood, and a serious cat fight.

-

-

**Superhero's Confidante  
**Chapter Eleven: _Note_

It felt good to be back at my parent's house, sleeping in my dark blue room, beneath my black blankets, warm and comfortable, but there was something restless in the pit of my gut. Was it the pasta we'd had for supper? Doubt it. My parents had had the same chef for years, and nothing had ever given me an upset stomach before. Was it because, though the wall behind my head, Bruce Wayne was sleeping in _my _house? Hell yeah, that was the reason.

Actually, he wasn't lying in the bed at that moment. I had heard him leave an hour ago.

Obviously, Alfred had thought far enough ahead to bring the Batsuit.

I just hoped my parent's didn't hear him. Then I'd have some questions to answer to, and so to would he. Ha, that would be an interesting conversation. But, I didn't think Bruce was careless enough to let my parents hear him. He had probably kicked my window or something to let me know he was leaving. I didn't know.

I'd never learned to think straight when I was tired.

-

KNOCK.  
KNOCK.  
KNOCK.

I sat bolt upright in my bed and turned, automatically towards the window. The knocks had been slow, and, as I had thought, it was Bruce, so slow probably meant pained. I hurried over and opened the wide windows, pushing the billowing curtains out of the way. Bruce tumbled forward onto the floor, and I realized, with a gasp, that his face was contorted in pain; he was trying not to cry out and alarm anyone.

On my knees beside him, I pulled off the cowl and brushed sweat-soaked hair from his forehead. "What is it?" I asked, my voice hardly above a whisper. I grabbed one of the nearby floor pillows and tucked it under his head.

I caught a vague gesture towards his side, and realized there was something protruding from it and blood was dripping on the hardwood floor. After turning on the light, I examined the wound. There were several shards of glass sticking out at awkward angles, and they had penetrated his suit. The wounds looked pretty deep. I sucked in a sharp breath between my teeth.

"We'll have to get you out of the top of your outfit, Bruce, but first, I'm going to have to pull the shards out." Tentatively, I prodded the flesh I could reach around the wound, trying to feel how deep the shards were. "Maybe I'd better get my dad… I don't think they've hit anything, but I'm not sure, and I don't want to pull them out and cause more damage… I'm going to go get my dad…" I got to my feet, but felt Bruce's hand cling desperately to my ankle.

"No, I'll be fine. Just get them out," he managed between clenched teeth.

I nodded and ran into my bathroom to get towels and the first aid kit I kept in there. I also grabbed a pair of tweezers from one drawer and returned to my place beside him. As gently as I could, I worked the shards from his flesh, trying not to break any pieces off. That took a while. I lost track of time as I methodically worked the pieces out the way my father had told me to do with large splinters. This was the same thing, right? Well, it didn't matter anymore. When all the pieces were out, I sighed with relief. There was no rush of bleeding, and I didn't think any small pieces had gotten lost in the flesh in blood.

I wiped my hands clean, turning one of my white towels crimson, and then I helped him sit up. After several minutes of deliberation and soft laughter from Bruce, I figured out how the suit did up and managed to get it off him. Well, the top half, anyways. Once his chest was exposed and I could see the wound more clearly, I rolled him on his side so I could properly clean and bandage the wound. To Bruce's credit, he didn't flinch once through the whole process. Not that I really expected him to, but still.

"There. Do you need me to kiss the booboo to make it better?" I asked in a mocking voice.

Bruce laughed quietly. He was now lying with his head in my lap, looking up at me with a tired glaze to his eyes. "You didn't ask me what happened," he noted.

"No. I don't really care what happened, Bruce. You were gallivanting around in a rubber suit, you fell or were pushed or whatever into something made of glass and obtained an injury that could have potentially killed you." I was leaning backwards with my weight on my hands, but I managed to glare sufficiently. "I could have killed you, you know."

"I trust you. You wouldn't have killed me."

I playfully pushed him off my lap and stuck my tongue out. "How do you know that for sure? I could secretly be harbouring a deep-seeded hatred of you and be covering it up with love, while I'm actually waiting for the right time to kill you while you sleep."

"Uh-huh. Of course that's what you feel."

He was now lying with his head in my lap, and I was looking down at him while I leaned slightly backwards on my hands. I had the overwhelming desire to lean down and kiss him, but I refrained. There was something in the way he was laying, in putting so much dependence on me that exposed this vulnerability which I was devastatingly attracted to. I imagined he never let anyone except Alfred see this side of him, and now me. He had said he trusted me with his secret, but really, I didn't understand why he was letting me in so deep, especially after I had confessed my feelings to him. Didn't that make me more of a liability? I could snap and run to find help the moment I thought things were getting to dangerous, or the moment I thought he had lost his mind; which I already thought, actually.

"I bought the company back," he said suddenly.

I sat up, looking down at him. "What? How?"

"I bought the shares though charities and organizations and stuff like that. I bought it back and fired Mr. Earle. I gave Lucius his job as thanks for helping me out. He doesn't know it, but he supplied me with all of the accessories I needed to really become Batman."

"I _knew _you were taking things from the basement! I just didn't know what for. And I didn't really believe any of the stories circulating."

"I imagine that Fox shared his speculations with you?"

I nodded. "Of course he did."

"A lot of the inmates from Arhkam escaped that night of my party, when I was in the Narrows. Apparently, one of them is calling himself 'The Joker' and he's causing a lot of trouble."

"Is that how you got your wounds? Chasing him?"

"No. I went out last night because Lieutenant Gordon wanted to inform me of the escaped inmates, and as we were talking, a fire broke out nearby. I went in to get the young woman and her husband who were trapped and the arsonist, who was lounging about outside, watching, was angry with me. So he started throwing things through the windows. Something exploded and I went through a glass door."

I raised my eyebrow. "And you got back here in that pain? Wow, you _are_ amazing."

"Yeah, I am."

I nudged him, laughing a bit. "You're such an egotistical billionaire-playboy, you know that, right?" He shrugged and I laughed more. After I gathered myself together, I gestured towards my bed. "You should rest on something more comfortable than the floor." He nodded and I helped him to his feet and then onto the bed. I sat on the other side of the bed and leaned back against the headboard. "Why do you tell me these things, Bruce? Why do you trust me so much? Why not tell Rachel? I mean, you two are so much closer than you and me."

"I wouldn't say so any more, Ellie. Like I said, I'm not sure the Bruce she wants is still around."

I couldn't believe what I was going to say. "D-don't give up on her, Bruce. She's obviously very special to you, and you're still special to her. If you really love her, don't give up on her."

There was a moment of silence as he looked at me, with what I could imagine was surprise on his face. I wasn't looking at him, so I wasn't really sure. I was focusing on my hands folded in my lap. I meant what I'd said, but that didn't mean that I was going to give up on Bruce. I loved him and I was going to try and get him to choose me.

Bruce leaned over and quickly kissed my cheek. "Thanks, Ellie."

-

When I awoke late the next morning, Bruce was no where to be seen, and as I ventured out into the halls, I couldn't hear or see Alfred anywhere, so I concluded they had gone back to his mansion to take care of some business. Naomi and Liam were at work, but breakfast was made and sitting on the island in the kitchen, waiting for me. I ate while I read the morning paper, which had been folded beside my plate, and then I headed back upstairs to get dressed and decide what I was going to do for the day.

_I suppose I should head back to work, but Bruce said Lucius didn't really expect me back today… Hmm… _I pulled on a black tank top and a pair of jeans. As I was brushing my hair, a square of white on the pillow beside mine caught my eye. Evidently, Bruce had left me a note and I had missed it when I had first woken up.

No surprise there.

_Ellie,  
Thanks for your help. Alfred had a look at the wound  
and said it would heal with only a small scar. Good job.  
Alfred and I have gone back to the mansion to talk to  
the construction company we hired, and to discuss  
what we're going to do with the cave. Alfred has  
volunteered to cook supper tonight so you can expect  
some sort of feast. I know Liam and Naomi are looking  
forward to that. Your mother spent the morning  
badgering me about our "situation", and that was  
awkward. Alfred should be back around 4 to start dinner  
and I don't really know when I'll be back, but I'll see  
you whenever that is.  
__Bruce_

There was nothing too detailed in the note, nothing special, nothing really at all, but the fact that he had left it made me smile. I tucked the note in my bedside drawer and went downstairs to find Blaze and Chill and take them for a much-needed walk.

I couldn't stop smiling.

* * *

**Author's Note...** I know this is going to seem like a weird ending, but that's what it is. The end. I didn't really want to end it so soon, but I can't push it any farther. It's as far as it's going to go. If you want more Eleanor, tune into "Reflection of His Enemy", which is going to be much better. Longer, more detailed and more thought out, lol. Thanks to everyone for the support, because you guys helped me finish the fic.


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